The Return
by dogkeeper7
Summary: Nezumi returns to Shion on a special day. This is a story of their lives in the year after their reunion.
1. Chapter 1

It had been two and a half years. Two and a half long, heartbreaking years since he left. He thought he had made the right decision by leaving the smaller, white haired boy and going back to his ways of traveling but he was beginning to think this was not the best idea. He longed to see Shion. He missed running his fingers through the other boys hair. He missed hearing him read aloud from different stories. He miss the red snake that wrapped around Shion's body. He missed the feeling of being loved by someone so strongly.

Before he met Shion, Nezumi had been a wanderer. A loner. He didn't need anyone else but himself to survive. Shion changed all of that and gave Nezumi someone to live for. Not a day had passed since leaving the airheaded boy's side that he didn't miss him. He knew an important day was coming up soon for Shion and Nezumi vowed to himself to return to the boy and celebrate this occasion.

Fueled by a sense of purpose, Nezumi hurried to get back to the small bakery in Lost Town where he hoped to find his companion. More than two years of travel had allowed Nezumi to see things he'd only heard about in the past. However, this also drove him far away from the city he had seen the destruction of. As the days went by, he struggled with just how far away he had become from the once enclosed town of No.6. There were only a few days left before Shion's special day and Nezumi began to worry that he wouldn't make it to the boy in time.

Nezumi hopped train after train, hitch-hiked across cities, and found himself running flat out across fields as he tried to make his way to Shion. Exhausted by his travels, Nezumi stopped in a familiar place to rest up before his final day of this grueling journey. As he walked into the broken down hotel, there was a shift in the air that signaled to him something was amiss. He couldn't hear the growling of dogs that always came to him upon entry. He could see layers upon layers of dust coating all the surfaces in the building. Nezumi wasn't sure if he was alone in this old hotel or if the feeling he had meant someone was very close by. He silently readied his knife in his right hand and pulled his scarf tighter around his neck. If he was going to be attacked, he wasn't going down without a fight.

At the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the hotel rooms, he heard a strangled cry from above. It was a sound he had heard before, a sound heard often in the West Block. The sound of a crying baby.

Nezumi hesitated. If he went to the sound and it was a trap then surely the child was in no actual discomfort and he would be walking straight into trouble. On the other hand, if this sobbing child was being harmed, he might could take revenge for the pain inflicted on the kid. A face quickly flashed in his mind and he realized that at one time in his life, he never would have even cared to think of the second option. A certain white haired boy had changed everything about Nezumi and made him see the need to care for others. Silently grinning to himself at the smile still etched on the boy in his mind's face, Nezumi mounted the stairs in search for the crying baby.

He followed the sounds of sobbing until he found the room where the child must be. He placed his ear against the door and heard a second voice among the cries within. This voice was whispering words of comfort and sounded vaguely familiar to Nezumi. The door was shut completely and Nezumi wondered whether he should try to sneak into the room or make a quick entrance. As he put his hand on the doorknob, he heard footsteps coming closer to him from the other side of the room. He was unable to retreat quick enough and the next thing he knew, he was being thrown onto the ground from the force of the door being opened.

Nezumi didn't have time to get to his feet but he held his knife at the ready. He looked up and suddenly recognized the person who had been on the other side of the door.

"Inukashi?" Nezumi asked incredulously.

The formerly androgynous hotel and dog keeper had grown up. Nezumi had his suspicions about the gender of the younger companion but it seemed as though the past couple of years had allowed Inukashi to accept the reality of their body. Any prior uncertainty about the person standing in front of him was completely gone. Inukashi was definitely a girl.

Standing a little over 5 feet tall, her long hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing a fitted shirt which complemented her recently developed chest. Her jeans were dirty and ripped but they were still cleaner than the clothes she used to wear. There was a sense of exhaustion in the way she carried herself and she held a small child tightly on her side.

The look of surprise on her face at the scene she had walked into was enough to send Nezumi over the edge. He began to laugh and was soon unable to catch a breath. Inukashi's shock quickly turned into a snarl as she stared down at the man on the floor.

"What the hell are you laughing at, Rat?" Inukashi questioned with a growl.

After a few moments, Nezumi was able to control his laughter and stood up. He now towered over Inukashi and looked down into her face.

"So you decided to keep the kid after all? I never knew you had it in you to be a mother." Nezumi tilted his head towards the still crying baby clinging to Inukashi.

"So what if I kept him?!" Inukashi angrily responded. "He's my kid now and I take damn good care of him! And what the hell are you doing here?!"

"It's not your business why I'm here," Nezumi answered promptly. "So why is the kid screaming his head off if you're supposedly a good parent?"

"The 'kid' has a name you know.. I don't know why though, he just woke up hollering a few minutes ago..." she trailed off. "I wish he would just go back to sleep, we're supposed to go over to Shion's to celebrate his birthday tomorrow and I'm exhausted.."

Nezumi's eyes became alert at the mention of the other boy's name. Of course he knew it was Shion's birthday tomorrow, that was the reason he had returned. He tried to play it off but Inukashi caught the look on his face and smirked at him.

"Oh.. I see now.. you came back for Shion's birthday, huh? I wonder how his little lady friend is going to react to this competition," Inukashi said.

Nezumi suddenly felt as though a hand had gripped his heart. He couldn't imagine that Shion had moved on and had someone new in his life. The look of pain must have shown on his face because Inukashi suddenly grinned.

"What, you're at a loss for words? How is it that the former actor has no lines for this moment?" Inukashi was gently rocking the baby on her hip as she smirked up at Nezumi.

"I just.." Nezumi couldn't finish his sentence aloud. He had no way to express the pain he was feeling at the thought of Shion being with someone other than himself. Hadn't he told him he would return? Didn't Shion know that, even without overtly saying it, Nezumi cared for him? Had their shared moments, shared experiences, shared kisses even been for nothing? Nezumi refused to believe it. He often called Shion an airhead but he knew deep down that the white haired boy could not be that dense.

Inukashi suddenly realized that all those months spent together had created a relationship stronger than she had known. The look of loss on Nezumi's face was enough to tell her that she had unintentionally crossed a line. Years ago a joke like this would have ended with a brawl from Nezumi's side. Now however, there was a weak and distraught man standing in front of her.

"Jeez, don't cry on me now... I was only messin' with you Nezumi.. You appeared out of the blue and the first thing you do is laugh at me.." Inukashi told Nezumi this now and hoped she hadn't gone too far in her prank.

Once the words left her mouth, Nezumi's entire face changed. He no longer looked as downtrodden as he had just seconds before. He searched Inukashi's eyes for the truth and his piercing gray stare made the smaller girl shift uncomfortably.

"I was only joking.. Lili is head over heels for Shion but the he couldn't care less. I actually feel kinda bad for the girl..." Inukashi explained.

Nezumi let out a sigh, a feat he wouldn't have done years earlier, and leaned his head back against the wall. His hands went to cover his face and he realized his head was beginning to hurt thanks to the baby that was still sobbing over something.

It was obvious to both Inukashi and Nezumi that Shion meant a lot to the dark haired boy. The thought of his Shion being with someone other than himself was too much for Nezumi to bear. Although he felt relief at the words Inukashi had said about the whole situation being a joke, he still couldn't get out of his head the thought of Shion with someone else.

"Where is Shion?" Nezumi asked Inukashi, still leaning against the wall.

"He's with his mother at her bakery," she answered quickly.

"Give me the kid," Nezumi demanded as he pushed off the wall.

Inukashi hesitated for a second before handing the wailing child over to the taller man. Nezumi held the small boy closely to his chest and gently rocked him in his arms. He then began to sing in a quiet voice, right into the child's ear. Inukashi had never heard this song before but she suddenly felt relief spread throughout her tired body. She could never understand how such a fox of a person could have this side to him but she leaned against the door jam and watched in awe as the baby gradually quieted down. His bright eyes were staring over the shoulder of the man cradling him and they slowly began to shut as his breathing evened out and he drifted off to sleep.

Nezumi handed the child back to Inukashi without a word and turned on his heel to leave the hotel. Inukashi watched him as he disappeared down the hallway, still shocked at the series of events that she had just been witness too.

She took the now sleeping baby back into her room and laid him in his crib. She stared at him for a few moments before leaning down and kissing the child on the forehead. Inukashi then went to her own bed and quickly fell asleep, the events that had just happened still playing in her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Nezumi felt awakened. He no longer felt the exhaustion which had sunk into his body just hours before. He was going to see Shion and he was going to see him now. In his mind, he replayed all the best memories he had of the white haired boy with the snake scar. He hoped and prayed to a God he did not believe in that Shion had remained Shion during the time when Nezumi had been traveling. Inukashi's joke was still playing in his head and he had a painful tug at his heart as he heard that someone else was interested in Shion.

He was barely paying attention to where he was going. He knew the path that lead into the city and he knew nothing was going to get in his way. Once he entered the city, he noticed there were very few people wandering around in the streets. He didn't know what time it was, only that it was late.

Nezumi suddenly found himself facing the bakery of Shion's mother. He had traveled this far and could barely believe his eyes. The lights were out inside of the bakery but his trained eyes could see the baskets Karan would use to hold rolls, the cash register on a counter near the back, and a door which Nezumi assumed lead to the other parts of their small house.

Now that he was so close to Shion, Nezumi allowed himself to play in his head the parts of his memories he had kept tucked away. There were many instances when he had been with Shion where he felt an overwhelming emotion towards the boy. It took him much time to come to grips with the feelings he had towards Shion but once he did, Nezumi realized for the first time what had been missing in his life. He could no longer imagine a life for himself that didn't involve Shion. Although he had been away for over two years, he always knew he would come back to the white haired boy who had changed his life.

As he stood in front of the bakery, Nezumi closed his eyes and replayed in his mind the strongest memories he had of Shion, hoping that the boy he knew was inside this small bakery would be the same as he was the day Nezumi left. His heart quickened in response to the images of stroking Shion's hair, of watching Shion sleep next to him each night, of Shion leaning down to lightly press their lips together in what he knew was a lie of a kiss.

Nezumi saw himself watching the smaller boy cry but this memory quickly changed to a stronger one. In the next moment, Nezumi felt chills all over his body as he remembered being held by Shion when he completely lost himself and gave in to his emotions. This was the strongest memory Nezumi had of the other boy. For once, the roles had been reversed and he had opened himself to Shion enough that he had been sobbing outright in the other boys arms, unable to stop himself. All the while, Shion remained calm and rubbed Nezumi's back, muttering to him that it was okay to be crying.

Nezumi opened his eyes and looked at the barrier keeping him from the one person he needed to see at this very moment. He reached for the door handle and turned. It was locked. He had guessed it would be and wasn't about to allow this to keep him from entering. He fished around in his pocket and pulled out a thin piece of metal which he used to silently and effectively unlock the door.

As he took a step into the bakery, he had the feeling that there was someone in the room with him. Almost on cue, he felt a small weight on his shoulder and a tickle of whiskers against his cheek.

"Tsukiyo!" Nezumi whispered as he recognized the small mouse.

The mouse twitched his nose and squeaked as he jumped into Nezumi's open hand. He watched as Tsukiyo climbed down his body and leapt to the floor. The mouse ran towards the door in the back of the bakery but then turned around and squeaked at Nezumi, as if encouraging the man to join him. Nezumi quietly shut the door to the bakery and followed the mouse, shushing it as he went so as not to make too much noise.

Nezumi didn't know where Shion's room was and was thankful for the help the small mouse was giving him. He crept along behind the dark spot on the floor, hoping that they were both remaining quiet enough that they would not alert anyone in the house of their presence. Nezumi didn't know if Shion would be asleep or what he might be doing if he wasn't sleeping. The dark haired boy couldn't contain his grin as the mouse lead him to the other boys bedroom.

The door was cracked open and there was light spilling out into the hallway. Tsukiyo jumped through the crack without a second glance toward Nezumi. As skillfully as possible, Nezumi peered into the room without making a sound.

From his position in the hall, he could just barely make out that there was a bed against the wall opposite from the door. Nezumi's breath caught in his throat as he watched the white haired boy laying on his back across the bed. Shion was reading a book by the light of the lamp next to his bed. Nezumi saw Tsukiyo leap up and join Shion on his pillow.

"I was wondering where you went, Tsukiyo," Shion said quietly, glancing at the small mouse. "This is one of your favorites, you usually don't just take off like that in the middle of my reading!"

Shion smiled to the mouse then went back to his book. He read out loud a few lines from the classic story as Nezumi stared at him from the hall. He watched as Shion's hand reached to turn the page and decided that it was the proper moment to reveal himself.

Nezumi slowly pushed the door open wide enough for him to enter the room just as the clock at town hall began to chime that it was midnight. The white haired young man cast his eyes toward the door with a slightly confused look on his face. As he took in the tall, dark haired person standing in the doorway, his expression changed to that of awe. He slowly, as if in a trance, placed his book down on the bed, stood up, and began to walk towards Nezumi. Once he was right in front of him, Shion gently reached his hand out and stroked the taller man on the face, as if to check that he was real. His fingers spread out and cupped Nezumi's cheek, all the while keeping the same shocked look on his face. Nezumi closed his eyes and lightly pushed his cheek into Shion's hand, reveling in the fact that he was finally back in front of the one person who meant the most to him.

"Nezumi..." Shion whispered, the adoration in his voice obvious. "I can't believe it. You're actually back..."

On the ninth chime of the clock, Nezumi opened his eyes to look into Shion's face. He took in the bright white hair, as shiny as ever but longer than when he had left, he watched as Shion's eyes began to tear up, and he vaguely noticed that Shion had grown a bit taller as well but none of this mattered to him. All that mattered was that he was back in the presence of this white haired, airheaded, mouse loving boy and he could not be happier. As the final chime rang, signaling the start of a new day, the taller boy bent down and pressed his lips against Shion's. Nezumi pulled back, a true grin on his face. He reached for Shion and brushed his thumb across the snake scar that could be seen on Shion's neck. He took another step towards the smaller boy, closed his eyes once more, and bent down again so that their foreheads were touching.

"Happy birthday, Shion," Nezumi said as he heard a small sob come from the boy standing in front of him.

He wasted no time in pulling Shion to his chest and wrapping his arms firmly around him. He held the boy as he shook and cried, caressing his hair and whispering words of comfort into his ear. He knew how badly he had missed Shion but seeing him in this state, so completely broken, was too much for Nezumi to bear and he soon found himself shedding tears into the smaller boys hair. Nezumi knew that he would never again be able to leave Shion for such a long amount of time, two and a half years had been too much.

The two of them stayed joined together in this way until they no longer had tears to cry. Exhausted, Shion silently lead Nezumi back to his bed where they both got underneath the covers. The white haired boy seemed unable to take his eyes off of the person laying next to him and left on the lamp beside his bed. Shion continued to stare into Nezumi's eyes as the minutes passed, every once in a while leaning over to steal a kiss from the dark haired boy. Nezumi ran his fingers up and down Shion's side, never taking his eyes off of him. Eventually, they both drifted off to sleep, Nezumi's arm resting across Shion and their faces nearly touching on the same pillow.


	3. Chapter 3

When Nezumi awoke, it took him a few moments to remember where he was. He opened his eyes to see a pair of bright eyes staring right at him. A smile crept onto his face as he stretched a bit in the small bed. The boy laying beside him smiled back and snuggled into Nezumi's arms, all the while keeping eye contact with him.

"Good morning," Shion whispered to Nezumi, burying his face into the others chest.

Nezumi responded by kissing Shion's forehead and pulling the smaller man closer to him. He brought his hand up to Shion's face and cupped his chin. Shion didn't need prompting and quickly brought his lips up to Nezumi's. All of their previously shared kisses had been simple, a light brushing of the lips together. This kiss was different. The two men began to move their lips against each others, enjoying in the different reactions they received. Nezumi's hand found it's way to the back of Shion's head and was keeping him pressed firmly against himself. Shion's hands were pressed flat against the taller man's chest, he could feel Nezumi's heartbeat underneath his left hand.

Nezumi felt Shion's tongue pressing against his bottom lip, asking for entrance into the others mouth. He was surprised at the boldness Shion was showing but automatically parted his lips, allowing the two of them to explore new territories. A grumbling noise interrupted their progress and Nezumi pulled back, a light blush covering his face.

"When was the last time you had something to eat, Nezumi?" Shion asked, suddenly concerned for the other man.

"Well, I was in a bit of a hurry to make it in time for your birthday.. I didn't get a chance to have dinner last night," Nezumi sheepishly responded, avoiding Shion's eyes.

"You put off eating just to come see me?"

Nezumi swatted half-heartedly at the other man for this question but didn't give an answer. The truth was, Nezumi hadn't had anything to eat the previous day except a packet of crackers that he was offered on one of his train rides. His stomach was now protesting loudly to it's lack of food. Nezumi however wasn't quite ready to remove himself from the arms of the white haired birthday boy in front of him. He moved himself so he was hovering over Shion, the smaller boy trapped underneath him. His lips moved to Shion's neck, lightly brushing over the red snake that wrapped itself around Shion's body. Not used to this sort of affection from anyone, Shion involuntarily shuddered at Nezumi's touch.

Shion felt a hand move to the edge of his shirt he had fallen asleep in. It wasn't cold but the feel of Nezumi's hand on his skin caused a shiver to go down Shion's spine. He felt Nezumi's lips curl into a grin against his neck as Shion's body reacted in ways he could not control.

"I think this will be enough to satisfy my hunger," Nezumi muttered against Shion's throat.

The taller man ran his fingers up and down Shion's stomach, feeling the other boy's skin reacting to the touch. He hungered for Shion in ways he couldn't even understand. He had never felt this way towards anyone before and found himself wanting to claim every part of the man underneath him as his own. He lifted Shion's shirt off of him and threw it to the ground. He could feel Shion taking deep breaths to try to steady himself as Nezumi's fingers danced across the thin boy's skin.

Nezumi's lips traced Shion's jaw before sliding back down to his neck and across his collarbone. He glanced at Shion's face and the white haired boy's eyes were shut, a look of pure bliss across his face. Nezumi continued on his path, slowly claiming Shion with his lips. He followed the snake that curved across his chest, kissing it as he went. He boldly licked Shion's nipple and heard a sharp intake of breath.

Shion's eyes shot open and he looked down to see Nezumi. Grey eyes met red and Nezumi pushed himself back to Shion's face, catching his lips with his own. This time it was Shion's hands which roamed along Nezumi's body. When his hand reached Nezumi's shoulder, Nezumi cringed as Shion felt the scars from the other man's past underneath his fingers.

Nezumi tried to pull back from Shion slightly but the smaller man simply shook his head and brought their lips crashing together once more. Hands explored as their breathing became more labored than before, each of them needing to break for air more often. Soon, Nezumi's shirt was laying on the floor as well and he slowly lowered himself onto Shion so their chests were flush together. They pulled apart and looked into each others eyes.

Nezumi brought his hands together over Shion's chest and laid his chin on top of them. Shion smiled up at him before leaning towards Nezumi for another kiss. Nezumi pulled back, teasing Shion and forcing the smaller boy to lay his head back on his pillow.

"But Nezumi..." Shion whined.

"Let's not get too carried away now, your majesty," Nezumi replied, a smirk on his face.

He rolled off of Shion and sat up, truly taking in his surroundings for the first time since entering the bedroom. The room was small. It had a bed, a nightstand, a dresser, and a lamp. In one corner, Nezumi saw what looked like crates stacked on top of each other. Nezumi moved to the corner to investigate what was in these crates. When he looked down into the first one, his breath caught in his throat.

He turned back to the white haired boy, now sitting on the side of his bed with a sheepish grin.

"Are these my books?" Nezumi asked him.

"Uh, well, they're some of them.. I didn't know how long you were going to be gone for.. I just didn't want to lose them and, uh, I was in the middle of reading some of them too.." Shion trailed off, his hand reaching up to scratch the back of his head.

Nezumi was speechless. He knew Shion had taken a liking to his books but he never thought that the airheaded boy would actually take care of his stuff in such a way. He felt extremely thankful to Shion for thinking of his collection. He turned back to look through the crates, finding book after book that he considered to be his favorites.

He felt a presence beside him and found that Shion had moved off the bed. He still had a sheepish look on his face but there was also a hint of pride, knowing now that he had done something Nezumi had appreciated. The dark haired boy put the copy of Macbeth that he had loved so dearly back into the crate and tossed an arm around Shion, pulling him close.

"Thank you. Thank you for this, Shion. Thank you for saving my books," Nezumi whispered into the white hair as he planted kisses on top of Shion's head. He could never express his gratitude to the other man for all that he had done for him.

Shion didn't know what to say and remained in Nezumi's arms until he once again heard the sound of a grumble coming from the other man. After a quick peck on the lips, Shion took Nezumi's hand and lead him to the bakery where he could smell his mother's creations coming from the oven. When they reached the end of the hallway, Shion reached for the door but then jumped back, his face suddenly turning bright red. Nezumi turned to look at him, wondering what caused this reaction.

"Shion..?"

"We forgot our shirts! We can't go in there half naked, there might be customers or even worse, my mother!" Shion turned around quickly, pulling Nezumi along with him.

They were merely steps away from Shion's bedroom when the two men heard the bakery door open and froze in their tracks. Shion was going over explanation after explanation as to why he and Nezumi were both standing in the middle of the hallway, shirtless. Before he could even think of one plausible excuse, he remembered that there was also the fact that Nezumi was in his house and his mother didn't know.

The two men glanced at each other before turning back to the door. A teenaged girl was standing in the entryway, a look of surprise on her face as she stared at the two shirtless men in front of her. Shion shyly waved and turned even darker red than he was before. Nezumi merely cocked his head to the side and wondered who this girl was.

"Oh, hi there Lili!" Shion said brightly, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

Lili's eyes were as wide as saucers as she looked at the two men.

"Shion, who is this?" Lili questioned, pointing to Nezumi. "And where is your shirt?"

"Um, well, you see.." Shion stumbled over his words and avoided the girl's eyes.

"I'm Nezumi." the dark haired man said, stepping towards the small girl with his hand out.

Lili grasped his hand and her mouth fell open. She had heard this name before. She knew Nezumi was responsible for keeping Shion alive years ago after the boy disappeared from Lost Town. She had heard Karan speaking highly of this Nezumi character and couldn't believe that this person was now standing in front of her.

Coming out of her slight trance, Lili shook her head and stepped back from the man. She looked between Shion and Nezumi as a new expression came to her face. She suddenly understood why Shion had been so offhand with her whenever she tried to flirt with the white haired boy. A faint blush crept up her neck as she bowed her head and looked to the floor.

"Oh.. I get it now.." Lili said, more to herself than anyone else.

She quickly composed herself, forcing a smile onto her face and grinning at Shion.

"Happy birthday, Shion!" she said in a hurry before pushing past the two men and bounding down the hall.

Shion and Nezumi watched as she threw herself into the room across from Shion's and slammed the door. They heard a small sob and looked to each other. Shion shrugged his shoulders at the taller man as if to say he didn't know what was going on. Nezumi however felt a small tug at his heart as he realized that the shorter boy was still the same airhead he had always been.

They returned to Shion's room and gathered their shirts from the floor. As Nezumi pulled his over his head, he caught eyes with Shion and gave him a sly grin. The effect was automatic as Shion's face turned red and he broke eye contact, choosing instead to look at the floor.

Nezumi closed the distance between the two men and put his hand underneath Shion's chin, forcing him to look up. The dark haired man laughed at the reaction Shion had shown and bent his head to swiftly plant a kiss on the smaller man's lips.

"You still get flustered so easily, Shion," Nezumi chuckled, still holding Shion's face.

"It's okay though, I think it's quite charming when you blush," he added with a wink.

Shion's face became even darker and he couldn't keep eye contact with Nezumi. He pushed himself closer and buried his face against the other man's broad chest. Shion wrapped his arms around Nezumi's waist as Nezumi brought his own arms together across the shorter man's shoulders.

Shion mumbled something into the fabric of Nezumi's shirt.

"Hmm? What was that?" Nezumi asked, unable to hear what the other man had said.

Shion pulled away but kept a hold on Nezumi's waist. He looked into the face of the person who had saved his life more times than he could count but had also left him with a promise of return. Shion had waited patiently for this day to come and at times had felt like he was wasting his time on something that was impossible. The days when he felt the most alone, the days when he just wanted someone to talk to, the days when he woke up in a cold sweat from the night terrors that constantly plagued him, those were the times when he worried that Nezumi would never return to him.

Yet here he was, standing within Shion's arms. He took a moment and truly looked at the tall man who had given up so much to help Shion survive. His dark hair was still short, now even shorter than Shion's own. His face had filled out a small amount in the years he had been away. His eyes, however, remained the same. Shion found himself staring into the gray eyes he could recognize from across a crowded room and smiled up at the man.

"Nothing. It's nothing, Nezumi. I'm just glad you're here," Shion responded.

Once again, Nezumi's stomach growled in hunger and the two men laughed. Hand in hand, they made their way out of the small bedroom and toward the bakery door. Shion placed a hand on the knob but didn't turn it just yet. Instead, he tugged Nezumi to him for a short kiss, running his thumb across the top of the other man's hand and in that moment, felt as though everything was right in his world.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I really appreciate it! I'm not sure how many chapters this story will be but I have the basic idea for what I want it to include. I'm hoping to update at least twice a week from here on.

Enjoy chapter 4! :)

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Opening the door to the bakery, Shion and Nezumi heard a gasp and then the sound of a basket falling to the ground. They both tensed up at the loud noise and quickly directed their attention to the woman standing behind a display with her hands covering her mouth.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Shion questioned, taking a step towards Karan.

The woman felt tears prick the corners of her eyes as she took in the two men standing in her bakery. She knew without being told who the man standing beside her son was. It had been a long time since their meeting but there was no doubt in her mind that this was the same man who had kept her son safe years before. Nezumi dropped Shion's hand and bent his head towards Karan.

"I apologize for intruding, ma'am," he said, extending his hand to Karan.

The woman took the offered hand in her own, then pulled the young man to her for a warm hug. She would never be able to express her gratitude that her only son had survived the ordeal he had gone through years ago, thanks to the help of this dark haired man.

"Nezumi, our home is your home," Karan responded. "This is quite the special occasion then, now isn't it Shion? A birthday and a reunion... Isn't it just wonderful how things work out sometimes?"

Shion blushed lightly but smiled back, showing his agreement.

"We were hoping to have some breakfast mom. Do you mind if we grab something to eat?" Shion questioned, looking around to the many rolls, pastries, and breads within his reach.

"Oh, of course not honey, help yourself!" Karan responded. "I did however make a special cake for today, to celebrate your birthday."

Karan stepped to the back of the counter and pulled out a cherry cake. Shion and Nezumi glanced at each other, both with smiles on their faces.

"That would be great mom, thank you," Shion said.

Karan cut them all a hefty slice of cake and sent the two men to the small dining room off of the hallway. Karan finished her piece quickly, stating that she had to return to the front of the store in case any customers dropped by. She grasped Shion's hand and leaned forward to kiss her son on the forehead. Then, to the surprise of the two men, she proceeded to do the same to Nezumi. Shion watched as a slight blush crept onto Nezumi's face and smiled at him.

Once Karan had returned to the front bakery, Shion leaned across the small dining table and placed a hand onto Nezumi's. He still could barely believe that Nezumi was back. The other man's hand turned over automatically and he began to rub circles on the top of Shion's hand with his thumb.

They exchanged no words, only looks. They had so much to say to one another but neither wanted to be the first to disrupt their quiet happiness. Neither knew where to even start in regards to telling the other about the years they had spent apart.

_Shion, I'm sorry I left. I missed you so much. I am so thankful that you waited for me all this time. I'm sorry, I'm home now._

Nezumi hoped that their former way of speaking without saying words would still work. He repeated these words in his head over and over, silently wishing them into Shion's brain. He remained in eye contact with the white haired man and felt a sudden surge of emotions. The look on Shion's face had changed as he seemed to take in the unspoken words in Nezumi's head. Shion's eyes began to tear up against his will. He knew how weak this made him seem, Nezumi had always told him in the past to keep his emotions to himself. No matter how hard he tried though, Shion couldn't stop the tears from spilling over, slowly making their way down his face and toward the red snake across his neck.

Nezumi stood up and moved in front of Shion. He bent his head down and lightly kissed the white haired boy's tears away.

"No more crying, Shion. This is your special day. Don't ruin it with these wasted tears," Nezumi whispered to him. _I'm not going anywhere._

Shion took in a deep breath and smiled in earnest. He felt all of Nezumi's unsaid words straight in his heart. Nothing meant more to him than the man in front of him. Nezumi had kept his promise after all this time, the least Shion could do was show he still had the strength the other man had taught him.

_No more tears, Nezumi. I will show my gratitude in other ways from now own. Thank you for keeping your promise._

* * *

The rest of the day was filled with celebration. Many friends of Shion stopped by the bakery to wish him a happy birthday as well as take advantage of the sale Karan was having on cherry cake for the special occasion. Inukashi and the small child Nezumi had met the previous night came by around five that afternoon.

Karan closed the bakery early to celebrate Shion's birthday. Inukashi, Karan, Lili, the baby, and even Rikiga all spent the evening at the bakery with Shion and Nezumi. There were plenty of sweet baked goods thanks to Karan and the baby, who was now approximately three years old, had everyone in hysterics when he suddenly fell asleep at the table, landing face first in his slice of cake.

Inukashi decided it was time to return home after this incident. Lili and Rikiga both left soon after as well, wishing Shion a happy birthday and welcoming back Nezumi. Lili was still a bit sullen all night but the change in the young girl went unnoticed by Shion, the one she was most upset with. Lili knew that Shion was often lost in his own thoughts and she had a small hope in her heart that he was simply daydreaming about being with her. However, after this time spent with Shion and this new man, Nezumi, it was quite obvious to the teen that there was more here than simply friendship.

Lili noticed the way Shion was smiling and how he kept sneaking glances at the dark haired man. She saw a side of Shion she never had before, one who was genuinely happy. She was even watching him as he slid his hand underneath the table to reach for Nezumi's leg. Lili was shocked at this gesture and felt herself blushing at the action she had spied on. When she glanced up after seeing this, she noticed Nezumi staring straight at her. Lili's face went redder as Nezumi grinned at the young girl, signaling to her that he knew she'd seen Shion's hand.

Lili's heart was heavy as she left the bakery that night but she was also extremely happy to see Shion in such a good mood. He was always nice to her but there was something in the way he would stare off into space at random times and wouldn't be all the way "there." Now that Nezumi had returned, Lili knew she should remove her feelings for Shion immediately. She was not a dumb girl, she knew when she was not wanted by someone and when she would never have the chance to be with someone. For her, it was a hard lesson to come to terms with and she cried herself to sleep that night, dreaming of a world where Shion loved her the way she felt for him.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This chapter might be closer to a T+ or so rating. I don't personally think it qualifies as M so I'm not going to change the rating on the story overall, I just wanted to let you readers know! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Back at Karan's bakery, Karan was wishing Rikiga a good night, sending him off with a bag of baked goods and a swift kiss on the cheek.

"They seem to have gotten quite close, huh?" Nezumi said to Shion as the two men hung back in the dining room.

Shion remained quiet, watching as his mother waved at Rikiga until he was out of sight. He felt a hand on his waist and turned to Nezumi. The taller man pulled Shion to him and bent down to his ear.

"You know Shion, I haven't given you a birthday present yet.." Nezumi whispered.

Shion felt a shiver throughout his whole body at this statement. The next thing he knew, Nezumi had pressed his lips to Shion's neck, lightly sucking at the place he had once had a parasitic bee removed.

"N-Nezumi!" Shion stammered, pushing away slightly from Nezumi. "My mom is right in the other room!"

"Then I guess I'll just have to give you your present in a more private place," Nezumi said seductively, pulling Shion's hand.

Shion broke free and moved away from Nezumi quickly.

"Wait! Just wait a minute!" Shion said with his hands pressed firmly against Nezumi's chest. "I just.. I need a minute to talk to my mom.."

Shion felt a small blush creep up his face and looked to the ground, avoiding Nezumi's eyes.

"As you wish, your majesty. Shall I await your arrival in the bedroom?" Nezumi asked with a wink.

"Uh, yeah, sure.." Shion answered awkwardly.

Nezumi then left Shion in the hall and made his way to the small bedroom. Shion leaned against the wall, taking steadying breaths to calm himself. He was no longer the naïve, innocent, sheltered boy he had been seven years before when he had thrown his window open and let in a stranger in the middle of a hurricane. Nezumi had taught him much about life outside the enclosed city of No.6 and Shion knew he would never be the same again.

Nezumi had been his first real kiss, not including his mother or the kiss Safu planted on his cheek once. He had also been the first person to take him under his wing and teach him how to protect himself, physically and mentally. If it hadn't been for the care Nezumi had shown Shion, the white haired boy would not have survived life in the West Block.

The two men had been careful in their relationship. Shion was always the over-emotional one while Nezumi reigned him in and kept them from going too far with anything. Shion knew that if he ever tried to push too far with his feelings, such as the time he had told Nezumi he loved him, the other man would shut him out. That was just how Nezumi was taught, never trust anyone. Over the years though, he had slowly began opening himself to the white haired boy. Now that he had returned, Shion wondered what that meant for their relationship together. In just one day the two had become closer than ever before. It was obvious to both of them that they both cared deeply for the other and if given time alone, they were likely to progress in their newly renewed relationship at a quick pace.

Shion blushed as he remembered their kisses that morning. Before he allowed himself to become too flustered, he pushed off the wall and moved into the bakery where his mother was tidying up.

"Mom?" he asked, walking up next to her.

"Oh, hey there Shion. What is it?" Karan replied.

Shion shifted his weight back and forth on his feet. He couldn't believe how nervous he was to bring up the topic he was about to.

"Well, I uh.. I just wanted to thank you for everything today. I had a really great birthday," Shion said.

"You're so very welcome honey. Although, I don't think I'm the main reason you were so happy today, am I right?" Karan asked, a hint of knowing in her voice.

Shion looked down at his hands as a smile grew across his face.

"So mom, about Nezumi.. he doesn't really have anywhere else to go.. I was wondering-" Shion began.

"Our home is his home, Shion. Please tell Nezumi that he is welcome to stay with us as long as he would like." Karan cut him off.

Relief flowed through Shion at these words. He sighed heavily and he moved to his mother, wrapping his arms around her.

"Thank you mom. I can't explain how much it means to me to have him here," Shion muttered into her shoulder, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Karan patted her son on the back and pulled away. She held him at arms length and looked him over. She could see the red scar that wound around his body, starting at his neck, and couldn't help but reach out and touch it.

"If it weren't for Nezumi, Shion, you would never have returned to me. I can never express the gratitude I feel for him and the thanks I owe him is tremendous," Karan stated.

Shion bowed his head and kissed his mother on the forehead.

"If he wants, I can set up the couch in the living room as a bed," Karan said. She noticed the look of surprise on her son's face at this idea and thought better.

"Or perhaps he would rather share a room with you?" she questioned.

Shion reddened and avoided her eyes but nodded his head in agreement anyway. He could not bare to go back to an empty bed after last night and thought Nezumi probably felt the same way. They had shared the small bed in the West Block and, aside from Nezumi's kicking, they were content.

"Well, thank you again for everything mother. I'm heading to bed now," Shion said, turning to leave.

"Goodnight, birthday boy," Karan called out. "Sweet dreams."

Shion made his way to his bedroom to find Nezumi lounging across his bed, a book in his hands. He felt a wave of nostalgia and, at the same time, a stronger wave of emotion toward finding the dark haired man on his bed. Nezumi was engrossed in his reading and didn't notice Shion until he heard the click of a lock. He put his book down and scooted over a bit so the other man would have a place to sit next to him. Shion quickly joined him on the bed and took his hand into his own.

"There's still another hour or so of your birthday, Shion. I think you're going to enjoy your present.." Nezumi said as he moved his face to Shion's own and crashed their lips together.

Shion's eyes fell shut immediately and he felt Nezumi move his lips to the red mark on his neck.

"I didn't have time to buy you anything.. I also owe you for a few years of birthdays now, don't I?" Nezumi muttered against Shion's throat.

Shion couldn't speak. His breathing became heavy and he felt his body reacting to Nezumi's kissing in a way he had never experienced before. Every nerve in his body suddenly came alive, especially wherever Nezumi pressed his lips. Moving so he was hovering over Shion, Nezumi's hands slid their way down to the smaller man's chest. He began to undo the buttons of Shion's shirt, never removing his lips from their place on the other mans neck.

Once his shirt was off, Shion clumsily reached up and put his arms around Nezumi's back. He was nervous but excited as he watched the man over top of him licking the red scar across his chest, as he had that morning. Shion sucked his stomach in automatically as Nezumi's tongue swirled around his bellybutton. Without warning, he felt a hand reach down and brush over the front of his pants.

He gasped at the touch. He knew his body was telling both Nezumi and himself exactly what Shion was feeling. He was embarrassed and turned his face away, unable to look at the other man. Nezumi pulled himself away from Shion's stomach and brought his face back to the white haired man's.

"Shion, you okay?" he asked throatily.

Nezumi knew that Shion was very inexperienced in many ways. He assumed that in the time he had been gone, this hadn't changed. Nezumi had not had the same childhood as Shion had been graced with and was forced to do many things in the West Block simply to survive. He often regretted some of the decisions he'd made but there was nothing he could do to change the past. Nezumi chose not to dwell on these things and had gone so far as to change many of his ways since meeting Shion.

He now looked down on the man below him and saw just how uncomfortable he seemed to be.

"Shion, I'll stop if you want.. I won't do anything you don't want me to.." he said, pulling Shion's face up to look him in the eyes.

"No, no it's not that.. I just.. I've never done anything like this before.." Shion responded, barely able to hold eye contact with Nezumi. "Don't stop though.." he added, blushing harder.

This was all Nezumi needed to hear and he lowered himself onto Shion, chuckling as he realized this was about where they had left off earlier in the day. He could feel Shion's lower body pressing into his thigh and he gently ground his leg against it. The effect was immediate as Shion made a small groaning noise and once again turned his head away. Nezumi experimented with this new reaction and soon had the boy underneath him panting. He rearranged himself so he was straddling Shion and brought their lips together again as he moved a hand back towards the other man's pants.

They remained locked together in their most passionate kiss yet as Nezumi swiftly removed Shion's pants. Shion could no longer contain himself as the other man reached down and began to rub him. Bucking his hips upward instinctively, he lost himself to Nezumi's passionate touches. He had never before experienced the feelings of complete pleasure that were now coursing through his body. He had been extremely embarrassed years before when he first learned that he felt lust towards Nezumi but over time, he accepted the emotions that overcame him every time he thought of the dark haired man. The first time Shion had ever become truly aroused had been in response to Nezumi. Since their first meeting, no one had given Shion the same lustful feelings as the rat who now touching him.

It wasn't long before the white haired man was brought to the edge of passion by Nezumi. His eyes shut tightly, his hands clawed at the other man's shirt, and he moaned out Nezumi's name against his lips as his body was spent. Nezumi detached his hand from Shion and moved himself so he was no longer over top of the smaller man.

Nezumi watched as Shion continued to pant heavily, his chest rising and falling dramatically. He felt accomplished at the look of utter bliss on Shion's face and couldn't help himself from grinning. He knew the other man had been waiting for him all this time, he had saved his most precious part of his being just for Nezumi. Shion opened his eyes and smiled at Nezumi. He reached a hand up to stroke Nezumi's cheek lightly.

"Thank you for the present," he whispered.

Nezumi still had trouble believing one person could be so forward with their feelings and emotions but his time spent with Shion had taught him that the airhead was just that open. He felt the truthfulness behind Shion's words and reached over to ruffle the white man's hair. After a brief kiss, Nezumi removed himself from the bed, excusing himself to the restroom.

When he returned, Shion had pulled on a pair of boxers and a shirt and was already asleep under the covers. Nezumi shut and locked the door, turned out the light, and curled up next to him in the bed. He tossed an arm over Shion and watched the other man silently until he too drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The day after Shion's birthday, Nezumi woke up alone in the small bed. There was a note on the bedside table from Shion, explaining that he had taken the previous day off from school and work but he couldn't miss either for a second day in a row. He wrote that Karan opened the bakery at 7am and that he would be back for lunch around noon.

Nezumi got himself ready for the day and met Shion for lunch. They discussed how Shion had been over the past few years and what he had been doing. Nezumi learned that the other man had started taking classes in the mornings and was working with the rebuilding committee for No.6 most afternoons. He was constantly busy with his studies and job but was thoroughly enjoying himself. Nezumi was impressed with the work Shion had done to change No.6 in just the time since the city had been destroyed.

Shion spoke on and on about the changes which had been put in place. No longer was the city broken down based on status, people were allowed to live anywhere they felt. The city no longer mandated testing for children and instead had begun merging the citizens into the same schools. There were some former elites who felt strongly against the new policies but their voices were drowned out by all those in favor of the changes.

The city had also preserved part of the forest that had once been taken over. When Nezumi heard this, he knew that this was Shion's idea. Shion cared for everyone in the city equally and he wanted for all who lived in No.6 to be treated the same.

Once Shion had finished describing all that his job was working to fix, he left for work, leaving Nezumi alone in the bakery once more. Nezumi was used to being a loner but he still felt a pull at his heart with Shion left.

_Dammit, this guy doesn't even know what he does to me. He's ruined me._

Nezumi cursed at Shion internally. As unnatural as it was for him to feel emotions towards someone, when it came to the white haired man, all bets were off.

That night, Shion came home exhausted around 7pm. He had been going nonstop all day and still had homework to finish for his classes. Nezumi watched him as they sat in the dining room, Shion working on ecology while the other man sipped on a mug of hot cocoa. He knew Shion would be busy, he just hadn't expected him to be too busy to do anything except work. Nezumi had spent the day wandering around the bakery and house before finally settling down and reading on Shion's bed. He wasn't used to staying indoors all day and decided to wander the town in the following days.

When they crawled into bed that night, Nezumi began lightly kissing the back of Shion's exposed neck. When the other man was unresponsive, he leaned over and saw Shion had already fallen asleep. Nezumi let out a sigh and gave up, tossing his arm around Shion to hold him close as he too went to sleep.

* * *

The two men continued in this routine during the next couple of days. Shion would rise early for school and come back to eat lunch with Nezumi before heading off to work for the rest of the afternoon. Every night, Shion had school work and reconstruction committee work and was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Nezumi was spending his days visiting the parts of No.6 he had not been allowed to enter when he was a resident of the West Block. On his third day, he found a library close to the center of town. He felt quite sure that it had not existed before the destruction of the city, he had kept a close eye on what was allowed and what wasn't. As he entered, Nezumi noticed a placard on the wall. Upon closer inspection he read that the library was created thanks to the help of those in the reconstruction committee and a special thanks was given to Shion for the idea.

He reached out to touch the sign, as if to prove to himself it was real. The metal was cold under his fingers and he brushed over the indention of Shion's name. He was overcome with emotion and left the library promptly.

_He's definitely the same Shion... Always thinking of others before himself... This was why he couldn't come with me. He had to see that No.6 was recreated in a way that would suit everyone in the city. It couldn't have been done by anyone other than him._

Nezumi returned to the bakery that day to find Lili behind the cash register. She was constantly flustered when Nezumi was around and she knocked a basket of rolls on the counter as he entered the door. Nezumi had noticed a change in the girl, she was staring at Shion like a love-struck puppy less and less. He hoped she had understood that Shion was his and he was not going to share.

That night when Shion returned home, Nezumi was waiting for him in the dining room. He had prepared dinner for the two of them since Karan had gone out with Rikiga. Shion dropped himself into his chair and began to eat, without even saying a word to Nezumi.

Nezumi tried to get Shion to talk to him about his day but only received short answers from the white haired man. Once he finished eating, Shion left the room to do more work. Nezumi wondered if this was how Shion's daily life had become. He understood that Shion had a lot of responsibility but he couldn't help but feel that maybe the other man had bitten off more than he could chew.

When the end of the school and work week arrived, Nezumi confronted Shion about his plans for the weekend. Their lunchtime chats and small talk made before bed led Nezumi to believe Shion continued his work into Saturday and Sunday. He would not stand for that. He needed time with Shion.

"Hey, Shion, you're not planning to work all weekend, are you?" Nezumi asked Friday night as the two got ready for bed.

"Actually, I really do have a lot to do.. The committee is about 85% finished with the plans to integrate the schools fully by next year. Also, I told Inukashi I'd stop by and wash the dogs.. And I usually have lunch with Lili on Sundays.." Shion trailed off, looking toward the floor.

"Wow... it feels like like you don't even care that I'm back," Nezumi quietly said.

Shion looked up from his daze, a look of hurt across his face. For him to hear Nezumi speaking about his own feelings was something new and it made him upset. Of course he cared Nezumi was back, he had just assumed they would fall into the routine they had when they were living together before. Only this time, the roles were reversed. Shion went to work while Nezumi stayed behind. Shion remembered how sad he had been to see Nezumi leave every morning. Even when Shion got a job working with Inukashi, he was constantly wishing to be by Nezumi's side.

He could see how the other man felt now because he had been in the same position before. Hot tears began to burn the corners of his eyes and he quickly wiped them away and urged himself to quit crying. Nezumi reached out and took Shion's hand.

"Shion... I didn't mean it like that.. I just.. You're the only reason I even returned to this city. I don't know what I was expecting when I came back. I guess I just thought you'd be the same, clingy Shion I left years ago.. I didn't realize how much I.." Nezumi trailed off, tightening his grip on Shion's hand.

Shion looked up at him and squeezed back. He understood it was difficult for Nezumi to express his feelings, Shion was always the one blurting out how much he cared for the other one. Now, it seemed that the two had changed positions. Shion pulled Nezumi to him and looked up into his eyes.

"Forget what I said before," Shion started. "Forget my plans. Nezumi, I am so happy you are here. Tomorrow I'll get up early and cancel my meeting. I'll tell Inukashi that I can't make it by. And Lili, well, she'll be okay without me this time."

Nezumi hugged Shion tightly at this statement. Before he met Shion, he hadn't needed anyone. Then, an airheaded, naïve, adorable, emotional, caring boy let him into his room and saved his life. Nezumi could never tell Shion just how much he meant to him, he just couldn't say the words. All he could do at this time was hold Shion close to him and hope he could hear the unsaid words he felt.

The two spent the night learning about each other. They discussed their lives and shared new information neither had previously known. Although it was difficult for Nezumi, he found himself telling Shion details about himself that he'd never told anyone. In whispers, they opened up to each other and strengthened their relationship. Gradually their discussion trailed off and they both fell asleep, their minds whirling with the information they had received in the dark.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: This is another T+ chapter. Once again I don't believe this completely qualifies as a M rated story so I'm keeping the overall rating at T.

* * *

Saturday morning, Shion awoke and did exactly what he had promised to Nezumi the night before. His work could wait, his most precious friend was back with him and needed his attention. He didn't tell Nezumi what he had decided they were going to do that day, he wanted it to be a surprise.

They had breakfast with Karan and Shion packed them a lunch to have later. Nezumi was curious as to what Shion had in mind but decided to let the white haired young man do what he wanted.

They set out with Shion leading the way. They fell into a comfortable silence on their walk, they had talked enough the previous night to get out all their pent up feelings. Once they were out of range of the bakery, Shion reached over to grasp Nezumi's hand, enjoying the feel of it within his own.

It wasn't long before Nezumi realized the direction they were walking in. He knew this path well, it led to the West Block.

"Shion?" he asked, getting the other man's attention. "Where are you taking us?"

A small smile formed on Shion's face as he looked into Nezumi's eyes.

"We're going back," he said. "I have longed to return to that room with you and now that you're here, we can finally go back."

* * *

They hesitated outside the door. It had been years since either man had entered the small room. Shion had returned once before, not long after Nezumi left. He had hoped being in the room would help him to cope with the other mans departure but instead, it left him feeling empty. The room was strangely large when he was alone in it. He picked out some of his and Nezumi's favorite books, took a last look around, and left, locking the door behind him. He couldn't bare to be in there without the other man, it just wasn't the same.

Now that Nezumi had returned, Shion felt that it was important to come back here. He had wanted to spend the rest of his days in the room full of books alongside the man who had saved his life. He knew it wouldn't be possible for him to return to living there at the current time, his job and school work required that he stay in the city. He could, however, spend some of his free time with Nezumi there and that's what he wanted more than anything.

Shion opened the door and pulled Nezumi in behind him. There was a layer of dust covering most of the items in the room. They stood in the doorway, hand in hand, and took in their surroundings. Nothing had moved since Shion last left and it was an odd feeling for the two of them to be back.

Without a word, they began to clean the room. Shion removed the sheets on the bed and replaced them with new ones. Nezumi took to dusting the books, the heater, and the chair. It was a small enough place that within an hour, it had returned to the way the men were used to.

Nezumi pulled a book off one of the many shelves lining the room and took a seat on the bed. Shion began to unpack the food he had brought, humming to himself as he got their lunch ready.

Nezumi looked up when he recognized the song Shion was humming. He realized that the airhead probably didn't even know what he was doing. He found himself staring at Shion, his mouth slightly open until the other man noticed.

"Nezumi? What's going on? Why are you staring at me?" Shion asked.

Nezumi shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had felt his heart swell at the song Shion was unintentionally humming. It had been the song of his people, the song he would sing to help those in their last moments move on in peace. He didn't know Shion had picked up on it or that it would be a song that played in his head. He also didn't know he would have such a strong reaction to hearing just the tune from someone else.

He had to control himself. Nezumi didn't understand why but the moment his eyes fell onto Shion's own, he felt a warmth flow throughout his body and had a strong urge to kiss the other man.

_No,_ he said to himself, breaking eye contact with Shion, _I don't want to just kiss him. I want to claim him. I want to hold him and touch him and never let go._

Nezumi was surprised at his own thoughts. The urge to take Shion into his arms was overwhelming. He pulled his knees up and placed his head on them. He soon felt a hand resting on his head.

_I couldn't hear him move. I couldn't sense that he was coming closer. Why is my guard so let down around Shion?_

"That song," Nezumi muttered into his legs. "I didn't realize you'd learned the tune.."

"I've known it since the very first time I heard you sing it," Shion answered, brushing his fingers through Nezumi's short, dark hair. "It just stuck in my head. Your voice was so beautiful and the affect your singing had.. I could never forget that song."

Nezumi sighed and sat up. Shion moved and sat beside him on the bed. Nezumi leaned into Shion, resting his head on the shoulder of the other man. Shion's hands moved from Nezumi's hair to his back, rubbing along his spine with soft fingers, eventually working their way underneath the edge of his shirt. As Shion massaged Nezumi's back, he heard a sigh come from the dark haired man and his hand reached over to grasp Shion's knee.

Shion's skin came alive underneath Nezumi's palm at this sudden touch. He watched as Nezumi began to slowly move his hand up and down his leg. He looked to the man sitting beside him and found that Nezumi was looking right into his face. Shion couldn't look away, he was once again drawn in by those gray eyes and his heart began to beat faster.

In the next moment, Nezumi leaned in, catching Shion's lips with his own. Shion's eyes fluttered shut and he gasped into their kiss as Nezumi's hand reached the crotch of his pants. The sensation of Nezumi's lips on his and his palm touching him excited him just as it had a few days prior. Shion began to lean back and pulled Nezumi on top of him, his hands roaming the other man's back under his shirt still. They broke apart long enough to allow Shion to remove Nezumi's shirt and toss it away.

They continued to move their lips together feverishly, needing to break for air more often than before. Nezumi unbuttoned Shion's pants and slipped a hand into them, causing a hiss to escape from the other man's mouth. He began stroking Shion, hoping to release his own emotions he had towards the white haired man underneath him. What he didn't expect was for Shion's hand to move around to his front and slide into his own pants.

He suddenly froze at the touch. He was used to doing all the work in these sort of situations. He had never had a sexual experience with someone who he cared for and who felt the same way towards him until a few days before. In that case though, Shion had simply laid himself down for Nezumi and allowed him to do what he wanted without giving the other man anything in return.

Shion felt him tense up at his touch and wasn't sure if he should draw back his hand. He pulled away to look into Nezumi's face, concerned that he had pushed too far. Nezumi seemed to be conflicted and they both stayed still for a moment. The battle going on in Nezumi's head came to an end as he thrust his lower body against Shion's hand, silently urging him on. His eyes fell shut and he laid his forehead against Shion's shoulder.

It was obvious to Nezumi that Shion had never done anything such as this before. His hands shook as he unbuttoned the top and undid the zipper. He was hesitant with his touches, afraid to do anything that might hurt Nezumi. He began to mimic the strokes that Nezumi was doing to himself and soon heard a small moan come from his shoulder.

The room became heavy with their sounds. Nezumi's lips latched themselves onto the red mark across Shion's neck while he tried to control his movements. He didn't want to do anything too forceful but his body was acting on impulse, grinding against Shion's hand. Nezumi quickly discovered that Shion was a fast learner in more than just school work and he was soon feeling immense pleasure from even the lightest of touches.

Shion was the first to reach his climax. He shouted out Nezumi's name and arched his back, gripping the bed sheet with one hand and Nezumi with the other. Hearing his name called during Shion's release caused Nezumi to lose himself soon after. He moaned against Shion's ear and surprised even himself when he whimpered the white haired man's name as he rode out his high.

Nezumi collapsed onto Shion as he tried to control his erratic breathing. He was taken aback by the way he felt now that his body was spent. He was used to the empty, dirty, lonely feelings that had always come after the deed was done in the West Block. This time, however, he didn't feel any of those emotions. He felt whole, comforted, and most of all, loved.

These feelings were too much for him to handle and he began to cry onto Shion's shoulder. He couldn't control the tears as the flowed off his cheeks and were absorbed by Shion's shirt. He felt arms wrap around his torso and heard calm words being whispered to him. He knew that he was safe, that Shion would hold him until he was okay. This set off a new wave of sobs and he clung onto Shion for support.

Once his tears had subsided, Nezumi rolled off of Shion and wiped his face. He kissed the other man carefully, expressing his thanks, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

When Nezumi woke up, Shion had their lunch ready and they ate side by side on the small bed, enjoying each others company and reminiscing about their days spent in the room years before. After lunch, Nezumi picked out one of his many play books and reenacted a scene, pulling Shion up from the bed to act his opposite. They laughed and played around without any care for the world outside of their small room.

Their acting turned to dancing, with Nezumi leading their steps. What began as a grand waltz morphed over time into a slow dance where they held each other close and shared kisses in between movements.

Together, Shion and Nezumi reclaimed the room, making it their home once more. Although they were forced to return to the city after a few hours in the West Block, they knew they would both be returning to their special place in the near future.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I gave a new name to the baby Shion rescued because I didn't want to confuse myself and everyone else with the names being the same. The name I chose for the baby means "good luck son" according to the website I used. I chose the kid's nickname without even thinking about the story of No.6 but it ended up having multiple meanings anyway! I'm about halfway through the overall fic, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

* * *

In the weeks after the trip to their old room, Karan noticed a change in the behavior of the two men. Shion was constantly reaching for and holding Nezumi's hand, which the other man didn't seem to mind unless he was seen by someone. Shion had always been an emotional person and it seemed as though being with Nezumi brought out his overtly affectionate side. Nezumi was also beginning to accept Karan into his life and while Shion was at school or work, the dark haired young man would sometimes come to the front of the store and chat with her.

Shion and Nezumi's relationship grew stronger as well. They kissed, talked, and touched more than they had before their last separation. As the weather grew colder, the two young men found ways to keep each other warm. They were caught in an awkward situation when Karan walked into Shion's room to deliver some laundry one evening and found her son pantless on his bed with Nezumi's face between his legs. For nearly a week after that incident, neither of them could look Karan in the eyes and they made the decision to keep those sort of activities contained to their room with the books.

Over the next few months, Shion became extremely stressed as his school work piled up and his job demanded more from him. Nezumi had picked up a job at the library where he was often caught reading the books he was meant to be putting away. The two made sure that their weekends were for each other though. They had returned to their former room in the West Block for a few hours each weekend, regardless of what else was going on in their lives.

One day while Nezumi was at work, Inukashi stopped by with the baby she had been raising. She had originally named the child Shion, after the airhead who saved him, but things became confusing over time. Inukashi decided to call the small boy Kichirou after accidentally getting the older Shion's attention multiple times when she was talking to or about the baby. Shion had been quick to nickname the child "Rou" and that was what most people called him. The young child was now approximately 3 years old and had grown a lot in the time Nezumi had been gone. Rou had been quite shy when he first met the tall, dark haired man, but it wasn't long before he opened up to him.

Nezumi showed Rou to the children section and helped him to pick out a book. Nezumi watched as the child pulled out book after book, stared at the cover for a few seconds, then put them back. After this happened with about 15 different books, Nezumi decided to help him out.

"Rou, what kind of book are you looking for?" he asked, bending down to the child's level.

Rou stopped going through the books and turned to Nezumi. There was a look of confusion on his face.

"I don't know what the name is," he answered.

"Do you know what it's about?" Nezumi prompted, hoping to get some help.

"Uhh well there's this part in the story that I remember.." Rou began. "Every time Uncle Shion gets to the part, I always say it with him. It goes 'swallow, swallow, little swallow..'"

Nezumi knew instantly what book the child was looking for. Not only did he know the book but he knew where he had heard this story from. Shion had told Nezumi that as a child, his mother used to read to him the story of The Happy Prince. It was his only memory of reading physical books before he met Nezumi. Nezumi smiled and chuckled to himself.

"The Happy Prince," he said.

"Yeah! That's it! Uncle Shion reads me it when I come over!" Rou said, jumping up and down.

Nezumi quickly found the book and brought it to Rou. As he handed it over, he saw a glimpse of the white haired man in the child's eyes. He had heard from Shion that Inukashi thought Rou had been Shion's own child when she first laid eyes on him. It was an impossible idea and Nezumi had laughed along with Shion at the thought but when he saw the child in front of him looking so delighted, he was shocked at just how much he was reminded of Shion.

Nezumi helped Rou check out the book and had to promise he would tell "Uncle" Shion that he had borrowed the book from the library. He was so pleased with himself and he hugged Nezumi as Inukashi made her way over to the book check out. Inukashi was still hesitant around Nezumi, he figured that her feelings towards him would always be a little hostile. However, she had been much nicer to him since Rou decided he liked Nezumi.

Nezumi always returned home from work before Shion did and was looking forward to sharing his story with the white haired man that evening. As he walked into the bakery, he was waved over by Karan.

"Shion's home early. I'm not sure if something happened happened at work or school today but he seems to be in a very bad mood. He's in his room right now, would you please talk to him and find out what's wrong?" she asked him quietly.

Nezumi hesitated in the hall outside the room. He couldn't hear any noises coming from inside and slowly pushed the door open. Shion was laying across his bed with an arm thrown over his eyes. He was wearing his clothes from work and seemed to be asleep. Nezumi walked over and placed a hand on Shion's arm. Nezumi heard a small sob come from the other man and quickly sat on the bed, pulling Shion to him.

"Shion, what's wrong? What happened?" Nezumi questioned.

Shion fell into his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around Nezumi. He began to cry harder and Nezumi could feel his shirt becoming soaked. He reached his arms over Shion and rubbed his back.

"Tsukiyo.. He.. I couldn't find him this morning," Shion began between sobs. "I thought.. Maybe he was just asleep still.. But when I got back at lunch.. I still couldn't find him.."

Shion broke down with another sob and Nezumi started to realize where this was going.

"I was so worried.. I must have looked it too because they sent me home early.. When I got back, I found him.." Shion continued. "Tsukiyo.. Tsukiyo's dead Nezumi!"

Shion let out a wail and Nezumi held him close. He was not surprised, Tsukiyo had lived a very long life, especially for a mouse. Shion was obviously not taking the death of his friend well. Nezumi had seen many of his mice pass on before, they were small and daring creatures after all. He learned to keep all emotions in and his feelings hidden.

"Shion, he was old, it was simply his time to go," Nezumi said into his white hair.

"I know.. I know but it still hurts," Shion told him, looking up with a tear-streaked face. He took a deep breath and continued. "Nezumi.. He stayed with me when you left. He was always there for me to talk to, for me to read to, for me to remember you with. I knew you would come back but while I was waiting, he kept me company. He was the closest thing I had to you in the time when you were gone. I know he was old and I knew this was coming but dammit, it still hurts so much, Nezumi."

The taller man felt his heart hurting at these words. He brought a hand up and wiped away the tears still falling from Shion's face. He hadn't realized how attached Shion had become to Tsukiyo and how much the mouse meant to him.

"Nezumi, make it stop.. This hurts so much.." Shion pleaded, closing his eyes and pressing his face into the other man's hand.

Nezumi was quick to oblige. He bent his head down and pulled Shion in for a kiss. It wasn't long before Shion's emotions took over and he pushed Nezumi down onto the bed. Nezumi could feel pain, frustration, and passion in the lips pressed against his. Shion's hands were roaming Nezumi's chest and soon had removed his shirt. Straddling him, Shion began to kiss his way down Nezumi's chest, his hands already reaching for his waistband.

A fierce battle began in Nezumi's head. He wasn't sure if he wanted to allow Shion to continue his motions while he was in such a distraught state. The way the smaller man on top of him was touching him, kissing him, grinding his hips against his own told Nezumi that this would more than likely progress to a new step in their relationship. Of course Nezumi wanted to be Shion's first, and his only if he was being honest, but he wasn't sure that this was the appropriate time to delve into this new territory. They had done many things together since his return and experimented with each other to learn the reactions they received from touches but there was still an activity which they had not yet tried.

Reluctantly, Nezumi stopped Shion's actions by grabbing his hands. Shion groaned and tried to shake himself free but Nezumi squeezed his fingers and pulled them upward.

"Shion, you're grieving, you don't really want to do this yet," Nezumi began. "We will get there, just not right now.."

Shion was slightly taken aback by Nezumi's words but understood their meaning. He felt embarrassed as hot tears appeared in his eyes. He lowered himself onto Nezumi's still naked chest, closing his eyes tightly and trying not to shake as his sobs started back up. Nezumi let go of his hands and brought his own to the white hair, running his fingers through it and letting Shion release all his feelings.

Later that afternoon, Shion led Nezumi to where the mouse had died. He couldn't bring himself to touch Tsukiyo so Nezumi wrapped the small animal in an old wash cloth and told Shion they could bury him if that was what the other man wanted. Shion agreed and decided that it should be done near their room with the books.

The next day, the two ventured to the West Block where they found a patch of soil nearby that had yet to freeze over entirely. Shion dug a shallow grave and Nezumi sang for the small creature that had meant so much to both of them. It became dark quicker than they had expected and they made the decision to stay the night in their old room, instead of heading back to No.6.

That night, Nezumi allowed Shion to push past the boundaries he had set for their relationship. He welcomed Shion into his body and they made love in their small bed. Shion had been clumsy to start, not sure if he actions were right but Nezumi led him through the motions and Shion was, as always, a fast learner. They moved together and released simultaneously, calling out each others names into the night.

Shion had never experienced anything like the way he felt as he thrust into the man he had been drawn to since the age of 12. He couldn't hold back his words as they tumbled out of his mouth and into Nezumi's ear over and over.

_"I love you.. I love you.. I love you.."_

* * *

Hours later, when Shion thought Nezumi had fallen asleep, he quietly cried into his pillow. He was exhausted, overwhelmed, and emotional after the events that had taken place. Shion couldn't suppress the small whimper that came out of him when he felt an arm snake it's way over his chest, pulling him tighter and silently giving him comfort. Only after Shion had no more tears and his breathing had evened out did Nezumi allow himself to close his eyes and fall asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Before they knew it, the Christmas season had arrived. The weather became bitterly cold but everyone was in a cheerful mood. Karan had Christmas cookies and cakes in the bakery every morning, the library had been decorated with strands of lights, and Shion had finished his semester with good grades.

Shion and Karan had held a Christmas party each year since the destruction of No.6. With Nezumi back in his life, Shion felt that this years party would be the best yet. Taking an idea from a book he had read recently, Shion decided the group of people who would be at the party should do a game of Secret Santa.

Karan, Lili, and Rou had been interested in participating from the beginning. Once he heard that Karan was in, Rikiga decided he wanted to join as well. Shion used Rou's power of persuasion and cuteness to win over Inukashi to the activity. When he brought up the idea, Nezumi had turned him down stating that he wasn't interested in the silly game. However, Shion had his own ways to persuade Nezumi and eventually convinced the other man to participate. When asked later by Inukashi about what he'd said or done to get Nezumi to change his mind, Shion had blushed profusely and had quickly left the room.

Both Shion and Nezumi had off a full week for the holidays and were able to help Karan decorate the bakery for the party that was fast approaching. The day of the party was also the day of the first snow of Winter. It fell silently, drifting to the ground, blanketing everything with white. Karan made snowflake cookies to celebrate the occasion and sent Shion and Nezumi off to the grocery store to pick up the final necessities for the party. By early afternoon, the snow was still falling but much slower in pace.

When Shion and Nezumi returned to the bakery, Rikiga, Lili, Inukashi, and baby Rou had all arrived already. Karan hustled the boys into the kitchen to get the food ready before going back to the guests. Once the platters were piled up with food, Shion and Nezumi brought them out to the front of the store where Karan had tables ready for them.

They chatted merrily through dinner, Rikiga growing louder with each glass of wine. By the time Karan cut him off, he had confessed his love for her and told her she was perfect over and over. To Shion's surprise, his mother began blushing and didn't fight him off when he reached for and took her hand into his own. His shock must have shown on his face because not long after, he felt a hand underneath the table grasp his knee and he turned to Nezumi to see concern in his face.

"I'm going to go get the desserts," Nezumi stated as he stood from the table. "Shion, come with me."

The two walked into the kitchen and Shion leaned against the door. Nezumi made no moves to get the cakes and cookies on the counter. Instead, he moved over and stood in front of the smaller man.

"So, alcoholic Rikiga just won't give up will he?" Nezumi said, cocking his head to the side and watching Shion.

"I've never heard him say he loved her before. He's always just danced around the idea. But did you see her face..?" Shion questioned, looking at the floor.

"Are you okay? Would you be okay with this situation if it progresses?" Nezumi asked.

Shion looked up at him, his mouth opened slightly and a frown on his face.

"I don't know, Nezumi.. I don't know. I've never had a father figure in my life, I don't know what I would do if my mother decided to be with Rikiga.." Shion trailed off.

Nezumi reached a hand up and brushed his thumb across the scar on Shion's face.

"You're going to have to talk to her, you know," he told Shion. "Right this minute isn't necessarily the time but soon, before things progress, she's going to want to know what you think. She loves you too much to do anything you're not comfortable with."

Shion nodded and reached up to grasp Nezumi's hand in his own.

"You're right. I have some time to think about this. And you're here so I can always talk with you, too. Thanks Nezumi," Shion said.

"Hey you two! Are you bringing out the desserts or what?!" Inukashi yelled from the other room, breaking their moment.

Shion smiled at Nezumi before standing on tip toes and quickly kissing the other on the lips.

"Come on, let's get those cookies before she comes in here," he said, moving past Nezumi to the counter and grabbing a tray of sweets.

* * *

After they had all had their fill of food and Rikiga was starting to come out of his drunken stupor, the group gathered around the Christmas tree that had been put up in the bakery. There were many bags and boxes underneath it, all wrapped in shiny paper, just waiting to be opened.

Shion insisted that Rou begin their Secret Santa game as he was easily the most impatient. With Inukashi's help, he found his gift bag and began to pull out the tissue paper. One by one he showed the others the collection of books that had been in the bag. There were two short story collections and a few intricately drawn picture books.

"Wow, Rou! These are really nice!" Shion exclaimed, leaning over to pick up one of the books from the stack in front of the small child.

Inukashi was looking at the books with a shocked expression on her face.

"So, who was Rou's secret Santa? Shion, was this you?" she questioned.

"Nope! I had someone else," Shion answered.

"Really? Well, who was it then?" she asked, looking around the circle.

After a moment, Nezumi raised his hand.

"Nezumi?! You got him all these books?! Wow, I can't imagine how much these cost.." Inukashi trailed off.

"Well, he always likes to come by the library so I just got a few of the ones he'd seemed to really enjoy. It's no big deal.." Nezumi said quietly, avoiding looking at anyone.

"Nezumi, wow, you're amazing.." Shion told him in a whisper. He looked at the book in his hand and read the title out loud.

"_The Happy Prince and Other Stories by Oscar Wilde_. Rou always asks me to read this book when he comes over.. How did you know?" Shion questioned, his eyes wide.

"He told me about it at the library once.. It's really not a big deal guys.." Nezumi responded as a faint pink rose in his cheeks.

Shion blinked and, without a word, he placed the book back in the pile and reached for Nezumi's hand. Nezumi tried to pull his hand free but Shion kept a tight grip on it and flashed him a smile. The look on his face told Nezumi enough and he allowed the other man to keep a hold of his hand.

"Okay! Moving on! Lili, why don't you go next?" Karan said, clapping her hands together and bringing everyone's attention back to the Secret Santa game.

Lili's present was a sketch book and a set of pencils from Rikiga as she had been studying art in school and turned out to be rather good at it. Inukashi received a beautiful painting of Rou playing with one of her dogs from Lili and she excused herself from the room for a few moments, returning with slightly puffy eyes. Shion's gift was a homemade hat from Karan. It had small mice knitted into the pattern and he quickly shoved it onto his head with a smile.

Nezumi was the next to open his present. His was in a bag like Rou's had been and when he pulled out the tissue paper, he grinned to himself. In the bottom of the bag were many small candies, some holiday confetti, a purple flower, and a small, stuffed rat.

"Rou, did you pick out these presents all by yourself?" Nezumi asked the small child who had been watching the older man open his gift. His eyes were shining and he had a huge smile on his face.

"Yep! I did! I like candy so I got you some too and the sparkles are just really shiny and Nezumi means rat so I got the toy and Shion is a purple flower, he told me so, and I hope you like your presents!" Rou shouted all of this very quickly, pointing to each part of the gift as he mentioned it.

Nezumi moved from his spot beside Shion and picked up the child. He tickled him slightly on his sides, resulting in a fit of giggles and squirms from the kid in his arms.

"Thank you Rou, I love my presents," Nezumi said.

He looked down to the small child and placed the flower behind his ears. The light purple stood out against his dark brown hair and Rou smiled up at him. Nezumi brought Rou back over to his original spot and sat the boy in his lap for the last couple of gifts. Karan received a glass rose figurine from Rikiga and finally, Rikiga was given a book about this history of wine from Shion.

After the game was over, they passed out their personal gifts to one another, to be opened on Christmas day, and the guests made to leave. Shion and Karan thanked everyone for coming and sent them out with leftovers from their meal. Rou was fast asleep on Inukashi's shoulder as they left and soon, Rikiga was the only guest left. Nezumi and Shion were in the kitchen washing dishes when Karan walked the older man out.

Nezumi nudged Shion and pointed out the window where they could both see the front of the store. As they watched, Rikiga and Karan said their farewells. They could not hear what was being said from their spot in the kitchen but they were both witness to what happened next. Shion felt his breath catch in his throat as Rikiga leaned down and lightly kissed his mother on the lips. He felt like an intruder watching this moment and quickly turned away from the window.

"Hey, Shion, let's finish this up later. Let's head to bed now, okay?" Nezumi quietly told him.

"Huh? Oh.. bed.. yeah, let's go to bed.." Shion mumbled before walking out of the room with Nezumi not far behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

Christmas Eve was just a few days after their party. Karan, Shion, and Nezumi had a small dinner together and opened presents. Karan received a new set of baking pans along with other new baking materials as a joint gift from Nezumi and Shion. Karan gave Nezumi a scarf that matched the hat she'd given Shion for Secret Santa and Shion received a new blanket for his bed. Shion made to open his gift from Nezumi but it was quickly pulled out of his hands.

"Hey! What was that for?" Shion shouted, reaching for the present.

"You can't open this until tomorrow. We're going to spend Christmas day in the West Block, I already talked to your mama about it. You can have this back and open it tomorrow," Nezumi stated, keeping the gift out of Shion's reach.

Shion pouted then lunged for the tree, grabbing the last gift underneath it.

"Fine! If I can't open mine, you can't open yours!" he exclaimed and stuck his tongue out.

"Stick that tongue out a little further, will ya? I can't quite reach it from here," Nezumi said with his hand outstretched.

Shion quickly backed away, slipped on some wrapping paper, and fell onto the floor. Nezumi stood watching him for a moment before he was overcome with laughter. He joined Shion on the ground, doubled over and holding his sides as his laughter continued. Shion had glared at Nezumi when he fell but Nezumi's laughter was contagious and it wasn't long before the white haired man was also out of breath from laughing.

It was a while before either could breathe properly again. They managed to calm down after a bit but remained laying on the floor together. They heard a door shut in the hall and realized Karan had slipped out gone to her room. Shion turned to Nezumi only to find the other man staring at him.

"Hey Nezumi.." Shion whispered, reaching for Nezumi's hand.

"Hm?"

"Do you love me?"

Nezumi was surprised by this question and was unable to answer. He allowed Shion to take his hand and he felt the white haired man tracing patterns into his palm.

"Shion.. Why are you asking me this?" he said, breaking eye contact and looking up at the ceiling.

"I don't know.. I just.. I'm curious.." Shion answered with a shrug.

"Well, do you love me?" Nezumi asked.

Shion was silent. Nezumi looked back and found Shion staring at him again. There was a slight smile on Shion's lips and he slowly nodded his head. Nezumi felt his breath catch in his throat at this action.

"I do, Nezumi. I love you. You are the most precious person in my life and I love you so much," Shion said quietly, continuing to nod and gripping tightly to Nezumi's hand.

Nezumi had never uttered such a phrase before, at least not that he could remember. He thought it was possible that he had told his parents he loved them when he was very young but he had no memories of this ever happening. He had heard people tell him this before but they had never meant it. Fans of Eve had confessed their love for his work and his acting but that wasn't the same. The way that Shion was looking at him, holding his hand, telling him those words, he had never heard such an open confession before.

Nezumi found himself nodding back. He couldn't talk, his tongue felt thick in his mouth and he squeezed Shion's hand in response. The effect was immediate, Shion pulled Nezumi toward him and crashed their lips together. Nezumi moved over top of Shion and deepened their kiss, pulling his hand out of the other man's grasp and using it to pull the body underneath him even closer.

As their kissing became more frantic, their breathing became faster, and their bodies began moving together on the floor, Nezumi felt that he had to give a proper answer to Shion's previous question. He pulled away from Shion's lips and moved his mouth to the others ear. He muttered those three words in Shion's ear and heard a gasp come from the man underneath him. Nezumi nuzzled his nose against the warm throat below and smiled as he heard Shion let out a satisfied moan.

With a small groan, Nezumi moved off of Shion. When Shion made to resume their kissing, Nezumi lightly pushed him away.

"Shion, don't forget that your mama is just down the hall. We don't want a repeat of when she came by to drop off laundry that time, do we?" Nezumi said in a husky voice.

Shion's face turned bright red.

"Oh, no! No, we definitely should stop now. Oh God, that was so embarrassing.." Shion told him, burying his face in his palms.

Nezumi let out a laugh and stood up. He helped Shion to his feet and held his hand as they went to bed on that wonderful Christmas Eve.

* * *

Christmas morning, Nezumi and Shion woke to the smell of gingerbread and peppermint. Karan planned to have the bakery open for a few hours in the early afternoon with lots of special holiday cookies and sweets so she had been cooking for a few hours by the time they got up. The two boys greeted her warmly and wished her a merry Christmas before they left for the West Block.

Their first stop for the day was at Inukashi's hotel. Karan had sent them with baked goods and Christmas gifts for Inukashi and Rou. Inukashi's was a blanket with a pattern of dog paw prints and Rou received a hat and scarf that matched the print. It wasn't long before Rou had convinced Shion and Nezumi to read a story out of one of his books and he thoroughly enjoyed himself as he watched the two men acting out the story. Once the story was over, Nezumi and Shion left for their next stop in the West Block.

Shion didn't know what all Nezumi had planned for their Christmas day and was surprised when he realized they were at the theatre where Nezumi had been a star actor. There was a line of people at the doors but Nezumi took Shion's hand and led him around to an alley that lead to the back of the theatre.

"Nezumi, are we here to see a play?" Shion asked as he was pulled through a back door.

"Heh, well, _you're_ here to see it, _I'm_ here to perform in it," Nezumi answered with a grin.

"You're acting again?! When did this happen?! Why didn't you tell me? What play is it? Why are-" Shion was cut off from his interrogation when Nezumi placed a hand over his mouth.

"You always ask too many questions," Nezumi told him, keeping his hand firmly in place. "It's not that big of a deal. One of my old castmates came to the library about a month ago. When he saw I was there, he offered me a spot in today's production. I agreed and have been practicing for the past month. It's called 'A Christmas Carol' and it was written by Charles Dickens. And now, we need to get you to your seat before it's time for me to get on stage."

Shion's mouth was released and he followed Nezumi to the balcony. His seat was one of only 6 in the area and it had a great view of the stage. Shion was still shocked at the events of the day.

"I can't believe you've been practicing and you're going to perform and I had no idea!" he said to Nezumi as he was shown his seat.

"I can keep secrets when I need to," Nezumi stated with a wink. "Now, I have to go back and get ready but Rikiga will be joining you soon."

Nezumi turned to leave but Shion grabbed his hand, pulling him back quickly. Nezumi gave him a confused look before Shion responded by kissing him swiftly on the lips.

"Good luck out there, break a leg," Shion told Nezumi as the dark haired man gaped at him.

Nezumi shook his head slightly and it brought him back to reality.

"Yeah, thanks Shion. I hope you enjoy the show," he said with a bow and a kiss to Shion's hand.

As Nezumi walked away, Shion heard the opening of doors and the sound of people moving below him. He looked over the balcony and saw seats beginning to fill up as people excitedly made their way into the theatre.

Nezumi had been right and not long after he left, Rikiga showed up and took the seat beside Shion.

The play was one Shion had never heard of before and he found himself engrossed in every movement on stage. Nezumi was a small background character in the first act but Shion was quick to recognize him. As the curtain closed and the lights came on signaling the intermission, Shion felt a hand pull him back by the shoulder. He had not realized but he had been leaning over the banister from the balcony, completely mesmerized by the play.

"So, what do you think so far?" Rikiga asked as Shion returned fully to his seat.

"I love it! This play is fantastic! I hope Nezumi has a bigger part in the second act though, I love to watch him perform.." Shion rambled in response.

Rikiga chuckled and left to get them snacks for the second part of the play. Shion saw that he had left behind a booklet with information about the play and began to flip through it. He quickly learned that Nezumi was going by his old stage name of Eve and that he would be playing the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come in the second half. Shion didn't know who this character was but was looking forward to seeing Nezumi's rendition of it.

The second act began and the crowd fell silent, watching to see what would happen to Ebenezer Scrooge now that he had been visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past and was left with the warning that there would be two more ghosts to visit him that night.

When the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come arrived on stage, Shion was thankful he had looked through the booklet. Nezumi was dressed as a phantom and it was nearly impossible to tell who was in the costume. His character had no spoken lines but he moved across the stage with a grace Shion knew only Nezumi could possess. Shion felt tears in his eyes when he learned that Tiny Tim was to die in the future and that Scrooge was spoken of so harshly even after his own passing. He found it difficult to keep up with all that was going on because he couldn't take his eyes off of Nezumi. Even if he was unable to see his face, Shion knew who was underneath the costume.

As the play drew to a close and Scrooge learned of his mistakes and the outcome of his life if he continued to live the way he was, Shion could not wait to tell Nezumi how much he had enjoyed the performance. When the curtains fell and the play was over, Shion stood up with the rest of the crowd to cheer and support the cast. Nezumi walked out with the hood to his Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come costume off and Shion could see how happy he was to have been a part of the production.

It was nearly nightfall by the time Shion and Nezumi left the theatre. "Eve" had been called out over and over and asked for autographs from fans. Nezumi had obliged but kept Shion by his side the whole time, so as not to lose him in the crowd. Rikiga wished the two of them a merry Christmas as he left and clapped Shion on the shoulder, tossing an extra grin in his direction.

Once the crowd had dispersed enough for them to leave, Shion and Nezumi made their way back to their underground room. Shion couldn't stop gushing about the play and how much he had loved Nezumi's acting. Nezumi allowed Shion to casually slip his hand into his own and they discussed the different characters in detail as they walked. Nezumi found himself staring at the white haired man beside him on their trek. He knew when they reached their room, Shion would want to open the gift Nezumi had kept from him the night before and he hoped that the decision he had made without consulting Shion would not damage their relationship. There was a small voice in the back of his head, however, that made him wonder if Shion could handle what Nezumi would be doing in the upcoming year and it was with that uneasy feeling that they entered their room.


	11. Chapter 11

Upon entering their underground house, Shion collected his and Nezumi's jackets and hung them by the door. They moved into the room but remained standing.

"So I take it you liked the play, huh?" Nezumi joked as he lightly brushed his thumb across Shion's face.

"Yes, I did very much. Thank you for taking me," Shion responded, closing his eyes and pressing his face into Nezumi's palm. "Can we open presents now?"

Nezumi chuckled and moved to get their gifts.

"I'm going first. The play was part of your gift so it's my turn now," Nezumi told Shion as he handed him the box he'd taken back the night before.

Shion pouted but agreed and watched with wide eyes as Nezumi removed his present from it's wrapper. There were two slips of paper in the bag and Nezumi pulled them closer to his face to read what they said.

"Two tickets to Hamlet! April 20, 8 pm. But hold on.. these are for a performance in No.4.. what about your work and school?" Nezumi questioned.

"I'm going on a business trip to No.4 for that week, the school understands about my work and allows me to miss class. I want you to go with me! It'll be fun, the two of us spending a week in No.4! And when I learned they would be putting on the performance, I knew we'd have to see it," Shion answered with a smile.

Nezumi leaned over and gave Shion a small kiss on the lips.

"Thank you, I'd love to accompany you on your trip, Shion," Nezumi told him, returning his smile. "Now, time for you to open that present of yours."

Nezumi watched as Shion ripped off the wrapping paper covering the small box. He had a funny feeling in his gut but tried to act as nonchalant as possible as Shion unwrapped the present. Shion opened the box and pulled out a small mouse. He looked at it closely before turning to Nezumi with a confused look.

"This is a robot, right? Can it make holograms too?" Shion asked.

"Yeah, it's a robot," Nezumi said before reaching into his pocket and pulling out an identical mouse. "I have one just like it. They're not hologram mice but they're kind of like walkie-talkies. If I talk to mine, you can hear what I'm saying and vice-versa. They have solar-powered batteries on them."

"Wow, Nezumi! These are so cool!" Shion said with a smile. "But, what will we use them for? Just for fun or something?"

Nezumi couldn't keep eye contact with Shion at this question. He shuffled his feet and looked to the ground.

"Nezumi..?"

"I was offered a position in an upcoming show with the theatre," Nezumi quietly said.

"That's great! What play is it? What part will you have? How long will it-"

"Shion, it's a traveling play," Nezumi said cutting off the questions flowing from Shion's mouth.

"Oh.." Shion began, understanding coming over him.

"I'm sorry.. I should have told you before now. I just.. we've been so happy and I didn't want to upset you. It's for five weeks, beginning in February. I wanted to be sure I had the part and the time off before telling you."

"So.. so you're leaving me again?" Shion's voice cracked with the question.

Nezumi felt a tug at his heart at those words. He quickly stepped up and pulled Shion to him.

"It's not like that. I'll come back. You know I'll come back," he whispered into the white hair.

Nezumi held him tightly but was surprised when he realized Shion hadn't started crying. He knew how emotional the other man was and had expected him to break down at this information.

"It'll be okay," Shion muttered into his chest. "It'll just be hard. I just got you back, I don't want to lose you again."

"You never lost me. I just had to go away and sort out some things. I've always been yours though," Nezumi told him and pulled away to look into his eyes. "Shion, you're the only person who has ever made me feel anything. You scare the shit out of me on a daily basis and I never know what to expect next. You can be perfectly fine and then just out of nowhere, you can be overcome with emotions and cry for other people. It's something I have never understood and I don't think I ever will. But the time I spend with you makes me realize that it's okay. I don't have to know everything about you, I don't have to understand everything about you, it's okay for me to feel these emotions that I know you're the only person who can bring out. If we had never met, if you hadn't thrown your window open and screamed out into that storm all those years ago, I wouldn't even be alive right now. Shion, I owe you my life and I will always be yours."

At this confession, Shion began to cry. He reached his arms up and brought Nezumi's face down to meet his own. They shared a passionate kiss as Shion tried with all his might to express his feelings for Nezumi without saying a word.

They broke apart, breathing heavily. Nezumi's thumb wiped off Shion's tears and caressed his cheek. Nezumi could hardly stand to look into the red eyes in front of him, they were so filled with love and adoration. He smiled down at the shorter man and his smile was returned. Nezumi felt an awakening in his gut that he had never felt until he met Shion. The longer he remained in eye contact with the other man, the stronger the butterflies in his stomach became. Shion was still trying to regain his breath and his hands moved down to rest on Nezumi's chest.

Nezumi crashed their lips together once more. Nezumi was amazed at how he constantly longed to taste Shion and when he did, he felt like he could never get enough. The taller man pushed closer to Shion and ground their hips together in a quick movement. Shion groaned into their kiss and Nezumi pulled his lips away just enough to see Shion's reaction as he thrust again. He watched as the red eyes fluttered shut and a pink hue tinted the white haired man's cheeks.

Nezumi couldn't hold himself back any longer and pushed Shion towards the bed. Shion landed on his back and Nezumi crawled on top of him, refusing to break their contact. His lips attacked the red snake as he removed Shion's shirt and he felt hands traveling his own body, reaching underneath his shirt to feel the scars on his back.

They pulled apart long enough to remove each others shirts. Nezumi returned his attention to the red scar and began trailing his tongue across it as the boy underneath him shuddered and gasped.

"Ne-_eh_-zumi..." Shion whimpered as Nezumi's tongue reached his lower abdomen.

"Hmm? What is it, your majesty?" Nezumi responded against his stomach.

"Nezumi.. I.. I want you.. I want to _feel _you.." Shion said in nearly a whisper.

Nezumi sat up and looked at Shion closely. Shion's face was red with blush but his eyes were steady as they made contact with Nezumi's gray ones.

"Please? Nezumi.. I _need_ you.."

Nezumi closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly toward the man underneath him.

"As you wish, your majesty."

Nezumi was careful and slow to begin, not wanting to hurt Shion. As their breathing and movements became more rapid, the pleasure of their actions became stronger. In a frenzied rush of squeaking bed springs, Nezumi lost himself and brought Shion over the edge with him. Once their bodies were spent they laid next to each other on the small bed.

"Merry.. Christmas.. Shion.." Nezumi panted as he reached for the other man's hand.

"Mmm.. Merry Christmas.. indeed.." Shion responded before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Nezumi awoke suddenly in the middle of the night, confused and disoriented in a tangle of blankets. He wasn't sure what had caused him to wake up but he felt a shivering body beside him. Looking over, he realized Shion was curled up in a ball and was whimpering quietly as tears flowed from his eyes. He was still asleep and Nezumi realized he must be having a nightmare. He quickly reached over and began to shake Shion's shoulders, trying to wake the smaller boy.

"Shion! Shion, wake up!" Nezumi called.

With a start, Shion's eyes opened and he took in his surroundings. The moment he looked at Nezumi, he threw himself toward the other man, tightly gripping him around the middle and sobbing into his chest.

"Oh, Nezumi, oh thank God, I was so scared! You were dead and I couldn't get to you and you were bleeding and just laying on the floor and I didn't know what to do!" Shion shouted as he hugged Nezumi even closer.

Nezumi brought his arms around and held Shion to him.

"Shh, Shion, it's okay, I'm right here. I'm not dead or bleeding or anything, I'm right here," Nezumi said in a low, comforting voice.

Eventually, Shion calmed and his grip slackened. Nezumi pulled away to look into his face and saw that Shion's eyes were still closed tightly. He bent down and captured Shion's lips with his own.

"Shion, it's okay. It was just a dream. Look, open your eyes, I'm right here," Nezumi told him, cupping his chin and bringing their faces to the same level.

The red eyes opened slowly and took in the face in front of them. They were bloodshot and puffy as Nezumi's gray eyes bored into them.

"It was like it was real though.." Shion whispered. "It felt like you were actually dead. And that wasn't the first time I've had that dream either. I was so scared.."

"It's okay now, I promise. You're okay and I'm alive and we're together," Nezumi gripped Shion's hand and brought it to rest on his chest, right over his heart. "Feel that? It means I'm alive. It means you shouldn't have to have those dreams anymore. We survived and thrived for a reason."

Shion moved his hand away and placed his ear instead over Nezumi's heart. His eyes fell shut and he once more wrapped his arms around the other man. Nezumi leaned back and brought Shion with him to lay on the bed, arms around each other and Shion's head on his chest. It was a long time before Nezumi was able to fall back to sleep but Shion seemed to only need the closeness and the soundtrack of Nezumi's beating heart to quickly drift off into a restless sleep.

Nezumi lightly caressed the white hair as the other man slept and fought himself mentally about his decision to take on a touring acting position. He wasn't sure if he could leave Shion for even just a few weeks after seeing him so shaken up by a dream. It was with these uncertain thoughts that Nezumi finally fell asleep, his hand resting on Shion's soft hair.


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry this chapter took so long to get finished! I've hit exam week at school and I've been really busy lately. Once I'm through with this semester, I should be able to give this more attention. Enjoy!

* * *

On the morning after Christmas, the couple woke up in a tangle of limbs and blankets. After removing themselves from the warm bed, Nezumi fixed them breakfast which they ate in strained silence. Shion was still shaken up from both the news told to him by Nezumi the night before and his nightmare. Nezumi tried to engage Shion in conversation but the other man simply wouldn't participate.

As they packed to leave their underground home, Shion stayed as close to Nezumi as possible. He kept bumping into the Nezumi or just reaching over to touch him, trying to keep in contact. After Nezumi nearly tripped over Shion when he was cleaning up their gift wrap from the night before, he decided enough was enough.

"Shion, what are you doing?" Nezumi demanded, putting his hands on his hips and stepping back.

"Hmm? What do you mean, Nezumi?" Shion asked innocently.

"I mean, you haven't given me an inch to myself since breakfast. You've nearly tripped me three times and I've grabbed your hand instead of the target I'm going for about five times already. What's going on?"

Shion was quiet and looked at his feet.

"I don't know.. I just want to be near you.." Shion mumbled.

Nezumi sighed and stepped forward, placing his hands on Shion's shoulders.

"You know I'm not going anywhere for a little while. We've still got time together, you don't have to crowd me to the point that I can't move," he said before pulling Shion in for a hug.

"Nezumi, don't leave.." Shion quietly said into the taller man's chest.

Another sigh escaped Nezumi's lips as he bent his head down to rest lightly on top of Shion's.

"Shhh... It will only be for a few weeks.." Nezumi whispered into the white hair.

Once they had all their items packed up and were ready to leave, Nezumi reached for Shion's hand and lead them outside. He was trying to be as kind to the shorter man as he could and allowed Shion to stay close to him.

They reached the door leading outside and Nezumi opened the door. In an instant, they were nearly buried in snow as it fell onto them from where it had packed against the door overnight. They quickly jumped up and brushed the snow off of themselves.

"I didn't realize it was supposed to snow overnight!" Nezumi shouted as he backed away from the doorway.

"Me neither! Do you think we can make it back to No.6 with all this snow?" Shion asked, looking towards the other man.

Nezumi moved towards the door and tried to look out but found his way completely blocked by snow.

"Shion, I think we're stuck," he said with a sigh.

Together they pushed the snow back outside and shut the door. By the time they were finished, both were quite chilled from the cold air. They returned to their room and changed into dry, warm clothes. Shion sent a message to Karan to let her know they wouldn't be back that day and to not worry.

"Well, since we're going to be here for the rest of the day, why don't we play a game, Shion?" Nezumi asked him after they settled back in.

"What kind of game?" Shion questioned, intrigued by the idea.

"It's called 'Would You Rather?' and it's a pretty simple game. Still interested?" Nezumi responded with a smirk.

"Sure! How do you play?"

"Okay, I'll give you two options and you have to pick which on you would rather do," Nezumi explained. "You're not allowed to say 'I don't know' or 'neither' but I'll let you have one free pass if you really don't want to choose. You only get the one though, so use it wisely. After you answer, you can give me two choices and the same rules apply. Ready for question one?"

Shion nodded his reply.

"All right, Shion, would you rather.." Nezumi paused to look around the room as if for inspiration. "Ahh.. Would you rather go blind or go mute?"

"What?! I don't want to do either! I don't like those options, Nezumi.." Shion muttered.

"Are you willing to waste your pass now?"

Shion sighed. He weighed the two choices in his mind and came to a decision after a few moments.

"I'd rather lose my ability to talk."

"And why is that? Why did you choose that options?" Nezumi questioned.

"Do I really have to give an explanation?" Shion asked back, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks.

"Well, I would have said no, but that lovely red color that your face is turning tells me I need to know why you picked that," Nezumi replied with a grin as he brushed his thumb across Shion's now red face.

"Fine.." Shion's blush became darker as he mumbled his response into Nezumi's palm.

"What was that? I could quite hear you, speak up," Nezumi pulled his hand away so Shion couldn't hide anymore.

"I said.. I said I didn't want to lose my sight because then.. Because then I couldn't see your eyes ever again.."

Nezumi beamed at Shion and quickly kissed him on the forehead.

"See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"You're not mad?" Shion asked hesitantly.

"Mad? Why would I be mad about you making a decision? Although, you'd miss out on being able to hold a conversation with me.. We'd have to find a new way to communicate," Nezumi responded with a laugh

"That's not funny! I told you, I don't want either option to happen!" Shion shouted in alarm.

"Okay, okay, calm down! I'm only joking, jeez.." Nezumi quickly said. "Anyway, it's your turn to make me choose between two options. Oh, and just so you know, it's kinda a cop out if you give me the same question I gave you, so pick a new set of choices!"

"Two new choices, huh? Hmm.. Would you rather.. Be a cat or a dog?" Shion asked with a shrug.

"Really?" Nezumi gave Shion a look. "That's the best you can do? Fine, I'd rather be a cat."

"And why?" Shion continued.

"Why would I want to be a mangy mutt?" Nezumi replied. "Cats are independent, they don't need anyone else to take care of them. Dogs tend to be in packs. I'm a loner. It's an obvious choice."

"You're not completely a loner, you have me," Shion quietly responded.

Nezumi sighed.

"You're the only exception to anything when it comes to me, airhead," he told the white haired man. "Well, it's back to me. Shion, would you rather..."

Shion's choices got better over time but Nezumi became bored with the tame questions. After about 10 rounds back and forth, Nezumi decided to liven up their game.

"Would you rather go to a strip club with Rikiga or give Inukashi a lap dance?" Nezumi questioned with a smirk.

"Nezumi! What kind of options are those?!" Shion yelled as his face turned bright red.

"They're the choices you have. Remember, you still have a skip if you really don't want to pick.."

"Neither! I pass! I don't want to do either of those, ever!"

"Okay, that's your one freebie though.. Your turn," Nezumi told him.

"Uh, fine, okay, um.." Shion began, a bit flustered. "Would you rather walk around No.6 naked or.. Uh.. Be a janitor?"

"I don't particularly want everyone in No.6 seeing me naked so I'll be a janitor," Nezumi answered. "I've got a good one this time.." He slid closer to Shion on their shared bed before continuing. "Would you rather have me kiss you here.." He planted a soft kiss below Shion's right ear, sucking slightly on the skin and causing a shiver to go down the other boy's spine. "Or here.." Nezumi moved his lips farther down so they were sucking on the edge of Shion's collarbone.

Shion moaned in response and Nezumi chuckled against his skin.

"That doesn't count as an answer," Nezumi replied as he began to suck harder on Shion's neck, knowing this would leave a mark.

"There, that spot, that one," Shion groaned as Nezumi stopped his attack and moved back to behind Shion's ear.

When he let another moan escape his lips, Nezumi asked if he wanted to change his mind.

"I don't care, both spots are great Nezumi," Shion breathed out as his eyes fell shut.

Nezumi pulled away.

"The object of the game is to choose only one of the options. You lose," he said.

Shion opened his eyes and looked straight at Nezumi.

"I don't care that I lose. I guess it just means I get to congratulate the winner," Shion responded before grabbing the back of Nezumi's neck and swiftly pulling their faces together.

Hands roamed, tongues explored, and bodies reacted as they shared a passionate kiss. Nezumi was pushed down to his back by Shion who began to move his lips down from the other man's mouth to his neck. Their shirts were quickly removed and Shion kissed across his chest, as small sighs and gasps escaped Nezumi's lips.

The couple made good use of their extra day in the West Block. Shion seemed unwilling to put an end to their intimacy and Nezumi was happy to oblige. Late in the afternoon, after both men were quite tired from their activities of the day, Shion began to read aloud from one of their favorite books as he laid with his head in Nezumi's lap. The dark haired man gently caressed Shion's hair as the story unfolded.

* * *

The following day, once the snow had melted enough to allow Nezumi and Shion to leave their underground room, they made their way back to No.6 hand in hand. When they arrived at the bakery, Nezumi told Karan of his upcoming play as Shion stood at his side, never releasing his hand. Karan was very happy for Nezumi but there was a hint of sadness when she asked how long he would be gone. It seemed that everyone at the bakery would be affected by the decision a certain actor had made.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Wow, I thought this chapter was going to be the death of me. But here it is, finally! I'm nearly done with this story, I just hope the last few chapters aren't as difficult for me as this one was! Enjoy!

* * *

Nezumi left for his theatre tour at the beginning of February. Shion cried himself to sleep the first night Nezumi was gone. He had become used to the feeling of a warm body pressed against his own each night in his bed and Shion had a hard time getting comfortable while he was all alone.

They kept in contact via the robotic mice and Shion learned about theatre life from Nezumi. Mostly, Nezumi just complained about the other actors or things that went wrong but when he had a particularly good night on stage, he'd rave on and on to Shion about how much fun he was having.

One night, a little over a week after Nezumi departed, Shion awoke in the middle of the night, his heart pounding and his body covered in sweat. He had relived the experiences from the Correctional Facility in a dream. Without thinking, Shion turned on his side to try to reach Nezumi but was met with an empty bed.

Shion laid in his bed trying not to cry. It had been months since he'd had such a vivid nightmare but he knew if Nezumi had been there, he would be able to calm down enough to go back to sleep. He needed to hear Nezumi's words of comfort and he needed to hear them now.

Shion reached his arm down and felt along the ground beside his bed until he found the small mouse he was searching for. He turned it on and pressed a button that would make Nezumi's mouse ring and alert him that Shion was contacting him. He waited for a few minutes but got no response. He pushed the button again and spoke at the small robot.

"Nezumi?" he said quietly. "Nezumi.. I'm sorry, I know it's late.. I just need to talk to you.. Nezumi, are you awake?"

Shion paused and listened closely. He closed his eyes and finally heard a sigh come from the speaker of his mouse.

"Yeah, I'm awake.. Well, I am now anyway," Nezumi replied in a tired voice. "What is so important, your majesty, that you needed to contact me at.. Four in the morning?"

"I had a bad dream.. We were back in the Correctional Facility.. I just needed to hear your voice.." Shion told him barely above a whisper.

"Oh.. Shion, I'm so sorry," Nezumi responded. "You're okay though, it was just a dream.."

Shion continued talking with Nezumi until he felt safe enough to fall back asleep. His mind was slowly drifting off but he didn't want to end the conversation.

"Nezumi, I'm so tired, I think I can sleep again now," Shion told his mouse.

"Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow then.. Or rather, later today I suppose," Nezumi replied with a chuckle.

"Hey, Nezumi.." Shion began.

"Hmm?"

"Can you leave your mouse on? Just for the rest of the night? I just.. I want to be able to hear you breathing," Shion answered, feeling his cheeks burning at the confession.

"So you've had trouble sleeping alone, too?" Nezumi quietly said.

"Yeah.. It's just not the same without you here.. I miss you a lot."

Nezumi sighed once more.

"I miss you too, Shion. I'll leave my mouse on, don't worry."

They both placed their robotic mice close to their faces and listened to each others breathing to fall asleep. When Shion awoke a few hours later, he could still hear Nezumi's deep breaths coming from the small mouse and was thankful that he could still be close to him, even when Nezumi wasn't physically beside him.

* * *

In the days following Shion's night terror, it became routine for each of them to keep their mice on and go to bed talking with each other. As the days went on, Shion began falling asleep much quicker, sometimes in the middle of a conversation with Nezumi.

One night during their chat, with around a week until Nezumi would return home, Shion announced that the Reconstruction Committee had officially finalized all plans to integrate the schools of No.6. This would give all the schools the same curriculum and all children in the city a fair chance to learn. Shion was ecstatic. All the hard work he had spent, all the long nights at the office, all the paperwork and fights with other people, everything had paid off.

To celebrate, the Reconstruction Committee scheduled an office party for the end of their work week. Nezumi wouldn't be back until three days later and Shion didn't want to go alone. Nezumi convinced him to go anyway, saying that he needed to have some fun at work for once.

The day before the party, Shion was greeted by Lili who was still helping Karan at the bakery. She had distanced herself from Shion somewhat since Nezumi had arrived back in his life but while the dark haired man was gone, Shion noticed Lili was becoming more of her old self. She brought Shion a muffin as he entered the bakery that morning and Shion, without giving it much thought, asked Lili if she would like to go with him to the party the next day. Lili agreed, with a slight blush across her cheeks, and thanked Shion for the invitation.

The following day, Shion picked up Lili from the bakery once he got off work. They chatted and caught up more than they had in a while. Shion wondered a little about why they hadn't spoken much lately but brushed the thought aside as they fell back into their old ways of being.

Shion introduced Lili to some of his coworkers and they all enjoyed food and drinks as well as each other company. Shion was offered a glass of wine from someone and tried to decline but the drink was pushed into his hand anyway. Shion remembered back to the last time he had had any alcohol and the thought made his cheeks burn at the memory of being right in Nezumi's face as he brushed their noses together.

He chuckled to himself and took a small sip of the drink. Lili watched him closely and they continued talking with people as they made their way through the party. Lili was the youngest one at the gathering and stayed close to Shion all night. After the white haired man finished his glass, he was given a second and even third before he began to act any differently. His coworkers were already mostly drunk and became very loud to be around. Shion found himself talking with people he'd never spoken to before and was extremely friendly toward them. Lili stayed by his side and eventually looped her arm through his.

One of Shion's coworkers asked if Lili was his girlfriend to which he replied with a loud "NO!" and Lili burned red at the question. Shion hadn't seemed to notice that she was still gripping his arm, he was feeling happy and giddy thanks to the wine he'd consumed.

"Shion, when are we leaving?" Lili asked him quietly as he finished his third glass of wine and leaned into her a bit.

"When we're ready to, Lils!" He responded loudly.

"Lils? You've never called me that before.. Just how drunk are you? Maybe we should leave now.." Lili told him and began to pull him toward the door.

Shion hiccuped and tugged back.

"No, noooo.." He began. "It's not time to leave yet! You haven't even *hic* seen my office!"

He tugged on Lili's arm and dragged her along.

"Shion.. I think we should leave soon.." She told him. "What do I need to see your office for anyway?"

Shion didn't answer but pulled Lili along a hallway to the room in the end. He fumbled with the door for a few moments before opening it and bringing them both inside. He shut the door behind them and turned to face Lili.

"Welcome! Welcome, one and all, to *hic* my office!" Shion called as he held his arms out and gestured around the room.

Lili smiled and laughed.

"Why, thank you, Shion! And what a lovely little office it is!"

"I knoooow, Lils, *hic* isn't it just great?!"

Shion walked to his desk and plopped himself down in his chair. Lili walked over to stand by him and looked over his shoulder to the decorations he had used to make his office more his own. She saw a few drawings that had obviously been done by Rou as well as many photographs, some in frames, some just tacked to the wall. As she had expected, Nezumi was in the majority of the photos.

Shion remained silent for a time. Lili glanced down at him and followed his gaze onto a photo of him and Nezumi that must have been taken relatively recently. They had their arms around each other in a hug and they both had huge smiles on their face. It looked as though they were caught mid-laugh.

Looking back at Shion, she saw a single tear slide down his face as he looked at the picture.

"Shion..?" She began. "Oh, Shion, what's wrong?"

She placed a hand timidly on his shoulder as he bowed his head and placed his face in his hands.

He mumbled into his palms, "I just really *hic* miss him.."

Lili slid her arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to her.

"It's okay, Shion. He'll be back soon. He's coming back in just a few days, remember?" She whispered.

"I know, I know.. It's just.. *hic* I just.. I miss him, dammit! It's not fair that he comes back and *hic* then just leaves again! Does he not even *hic* care about me? He's such a bastard, I hate him!"

Shion shouted this before breaking down and sobbing loudly into his hands. Lili wasn't sure what to do or say so she just held him tighter and ran her hand over his hair.

"Shh.. Shion, it's okay, you know he cares about you.. We all care about you.. Don't say things like that.." Lili told him after a few minutes.

He calmed down a bit and looked up at her. She was very close to his face and continued to run her fingers through his hair as she smiled down at him.

"Lili.." Shion began, watching her intently.

"Hmm?"

In the next moment, Shion had leaned forward and pressed his lips to Lili's. She froze entirely, she felt as if even her heart had stopped beating. She had no idea how long she remained in contact with him but as he pulled away and opened his eyes, she knew the kiss had been a mistake. His eyes went wide and he pushed himself away from her.

"Oh shit.. Oh _shit.._" Shion muttered, shaking his head as he stared at her.

Lili took a step away herself and brought a hand up to touch her mouth.

"Shit, Lili, I'm so sorry.. I didn't mean for that to happen, _shit_..." He trailed off and put his head back into his hands, mumbling to himself.

Lili backed away and soon was at the door to his office.

"Uh, Shion, um, I'm just.. I'm gonna go home now.." She said in a small voice. "Thank you for, uh, inviting me to the party.."

Shion didn't answer and she moved through the door, pulling it shut behind her. He remained in his seat for a while, not sure completely of what had happened. As he began to sober up, he was struck with the painful awareness that he was going to have to tell Nezumi about this.

He left the office without telling anyone and slowly made his way back to the bakery, stumbling a little in his still slightly intoxicated state. He knew Karan would be asleep and tried to quietly move past her room and into his own but he accidentally ran into a small table in the hall, knocking it over loudly. Karan quickly came into the hallway and saw Shion trying to stand the table back up. As he looked at her, he began to cry and she moved to hold him tightly.

Shion fell asleep in her arms and Karan half carried, half dragged him to his bedroom. She placed him in bed, removed his shoes, and watched him for a few moments as she ran a hand over his hair. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead before returning to her room.

Shion woke up a few hours later feeling extremely nauseous and quickly ran to the bathroom to rid his stomach of all he had eaten that day. He laid down on the tile, enjoying the cool feeling against his cheek, as the blurred memories of the night he had experienced came back to him. He was overcome with another feeling of sickness as he remembered his kiss with Lili and almost didn't make it up to the toilet before he expelled his stomach again.

When he felt as though he could stand up again, he brushed his teeth and looked at himself in the mirror. He was sweating, his face was pale, and his hair was matted. He nearly chuckled at the fact that he looked just as awful as he felt.

Shion went back to his room and fetched his robotic mouse. He stared at it for a while before finally sighing heavily and calling Nezumi. He hadn't checked the clock and had no idea what time it was but he felt quite certain that Nezumi would answer him, no matter what.

On his third call, Nezumi's sleepy voice finally came through with a "Yes?" and Shion's breath caught in his throat.

"Uh, hey Nezumi. Um, I just, um.. We.. We need to talk.." Shion muttered.

He heard a bit of concern in Nezumi's voice when he responded.

"What's up, Shion?"

"Nezumi.. I.. Well, uh, I just.. _Shit_.." Shion began.

"What is it? Spit it out, Shion," Nezumi pressed on.

"_Shit_, Nezumi.. I messed up."

Silence greeted him at this statement and Shion wasn't sure if Nezumi had disconnected. After a few moments he heard a sigh.

"What happened?" Nezumi quietly asked.

Shion explained the night to him the best he could. There were some parts that were still a little fuzzy but he told him about being drunk and telling Lili he hated him and then, in nearly a whisper, he told Nezumi he had kissed her.

"Nezumi.. I'm so sorry.. I didn't mean for it to happen, it just, well, it just kind of _happened_ and then I didn't know what to do but I didn't want to do it, I mean, I don't think I did, I don't really know what I was thinking, actually, I don't think I _was_ thinking-"

"It's okay."

"-It was completely stupid, I don't know why I did it. I just, she was there and you weren't-"

"Shion, shut up."

"-I just.. Wait, what?" Shion was caught off-guard and stumbled to a stop. "What did you say?"

Nezumi sighed, "I said, shut up. It's okay. I'm not mad at you so shut up."

Shion felt his mouth drop open.

"But Nezumi, I-"

"Just drop it," Nezumi cut him off again. "Listen, I'm sorry. This is my fault. If I hadn't left you again, none of this would have happened."

Shion didn't respond.

"Look, I know how you get when you're drunk. I don't think I'll ever forget you coming onto me like a dog or something. She was there and I wasn't. It's my fault and I'm not mad at you so just shut up. It was only a kiss, right? It's not like you fucked her," Nezumi told him.

"W-what?! Nezumi! How could you even- I would never- _Nezumi!_" Shion sputtered in response.

Nezumi chuckled.

"I know you would never. And if you'd been sober, you would never have kissed her either. But it happened and that's that. It's not the end of the world. It was _just a kiss_," he emphasized.

Shion fell back on his bed, feeling a strong headache coming on.

"Nezumi, I'm sorry. I miss you," he whispered.

"Stop apologizing," Nezumi told him before adding, "I miss you too, you damn airhead."

Shion laughed quietly and turned on his side.

"I miss you so much," he told his mouse.

"I'll be home soon."

"Nezumi.. I love you," Shion muttered as he closed his eyes.

There was no answer and only the sound of breathing came through on each end.

Finally, as he lost the battle to stay awake, Shion heard a hushed response.

"I love you, too, Shion."


	14. Chapter 14

Lili wasn't at work the day after the office party. As Shion walked into the bakery, his eyes half shut and a hand holding his head, Karan met him with a warm pastry and a glass of water.

"I'm not going to ask what happened last night," she told him before adding, "but if you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."

"Thanks mom, I don't think I want to talk about it though," Shion told her.

Karan nodded her head and went back to tend to a customer who had just entered the bakery. Shion took his breakfast back to his room and sat on his bed, nibbling on the pastry to test his stomach. He wasn't sure if he would be able to hold anything down yet.

Shion spent most of the day in bed, trying to recuperate from the hangover he had woken up with. When Nezumi called him that night, the ringing of his mouse felt like a knife in his brain and he quickly fell asleep after talking with Nezumi for a short amount of time.

* * *

A couple of days later was when Nezumi was scheduled to arrive back in No. 6. Shion woke up earlier than normal and was extremely antsy all day. His coworkers sent him home early after a series of events occurred involving Shion knocking three separate mugs of coffee onto the ground, a stack of important documents that had ended up in the "to be shredded" pile instead of the "to be sorted" pile, and a jammed stapler that sent Shion into a meltdown for no apparent reason.

Shion tried to keep himself busy at the bakery by helping Karan run the shop. His eyes were constantly on the front door, waiting for Nezumi to walk in. By the time the bakery closed up for the night, Nezumi had still not arrived and Shion was practically useless. He had grabbed his robotic mouse and was ringing Nezumi every few minutes with no response. Karan forced him to eat dinner without constantly pressing the call button and after they ate, convinced him to clean the dishes.

Karan stayed up with Shion later than she normally would have but eventually it became too late and she left him to go to bed. Shion waited in the bakery, pacing anxiously in front of the door. He was starting to get worried when midnight came and Nezumi had still not arrived.

At one o'clock, Shion went to his room and picked a book at random to keep him occupied. He moved back into the bakery and slid himself down to sit on the floor facing the entrance. He read without taking in the words and nodded off after half an hour, exhausted and disappointed that Nezumi had not yet arrived.

* * *

"Shion.. Hey, Shion.. C'mon, wake up. Shion!"

Shion felt two hands on his shoulders and heard his name being called. He groggily opened his eyes to see a pair of gray ones staring back at his. It took only a moment of realization before Shion threw his arms around Nezumi's neck and tugged him down, practically into his lap. He held on tightly, burying his face in the crook of the others neck. Nezumi relaxed against him and circled his arms around Shion, hugging him back.

Nezumi felt the body in his arms shaking with quiet sobs as he held Shion close. He planted soft kisses into Shion's white hair and rubbed his back, whispering soothing words for the shaking boy. Shion fell asleep soon after his tears stopped flowing, leaving Nezumi to lift him up and walk the two to their small, shared bedroom.

He placed Shion on the small bed and remembered he still needed to retrieve the bag he had left in the bakery. As he turned to leave, he felt an hand grip his jacket, keeping him in place.

"Shion? I thought you were asleep.. I have to go get my bag.." Nezumi told him, covering Shion's hand with his own.

"No.." Shion mumbled. "Don't leave.. Just.. Come sleep with me, please.. I'm so tired and.. I missed you so much.."

Nezumi felt a tug on his heart and turned to see Shion staring up at him, tears in his eyes once more.

"Okay, okay, I'll leave my bag," Nezumi said as he successfully removed Shion's grip from his jacket.

He pulled off his pants and jacket before sliding into bed beside Shion. The other wrapped his arms around him once more and hugged him tight, falling asleep in only a matter of minutes.

* * *

Nezumi woke before Shion and watched the smaller man breathing quietly, deep in sleep. Nezumi traced his fingers through the white hair, across the back of Shion's neck, then down the pale face, stopping to run his thumb over the lips he had missed while he was away. He leaned over and pressed his lips lightly against Shion's. As he made to pull away, Nezumi felt a hand quickly grab the back of his head, bringing him to Shion's lips once more.

Nezumi chuckled as Shion forcefully kissed him back, not expecting the other to be awake. Shion soon began tugging on Nezumi's shirt in an obvious effort to bring him closer. Nezumi didn't fight and, without breaking away from him, moved to hover over Shion. His hands roamed across Shion's chest underneath him, earning a gasp as they reached the top of Shion's waistband.

Shion broke away, his eyes half shut and a light pink across his cheeks.

"God, I missed you," Shion breathed as he stared up at Nezumi.

"Mmm, missed you, too," Nezumi mumbled before swooping back down to reclaim Shion's lips.

Nezumi slipped a hand into the front of Shion's pants and heard a groan as he touched Shion for the first time in weeks. He deepened the kiss, moving his tongue against Shion's, tasting and feeling the one person who had changed his entire life.

The two young men reacquainted themselves with each other as they shared their morning in Shion's bed. Many heartfelt _I missed you_'s, some mumbled _I love you_'s, and a few whispered _I need you_'s were spoken throughout their time spent embracing one another.

* * *

When they emerged from Shion's bedroom, they found that Karan had brought Nezumi's suitcase out of the bakery and left a slice of cherry cake for each of them with it.

Shion left Nezumi to unpack his bag and moved into the bakery where he found that Rikiga had come to visit.

"Hey there, Shion, m'boy!" Rikiga said loudly as Shion came into his sight.

"Hi, Rikiga!" Shion replied. "What brings you here today?"

Rikiga glanced nervously at Karan who was helping a customer pick out some pastries before hurrying over to Shion. He placed his hand on Shion's shoulders and brought his voice down.

"Shion, I need to talk with you about something..." Rikiga told him as he lead them toward the back of the bakery where Shion had just come from. "Just, uh, why don't you just walk with me for a bit.."

Shion looked back at Karan before being practically dragged into the hallway with Rikiga.

"Rikiga! What is it? Where are we going?" Shion asked as the other pulled him along.

Rikiga didn't answer. He stopped the two of them just outside of Shion's room and turned to face him, sighing heavily. Shion watched as Rikiga fidgeted, moving from one foot to the other and putting his hand inside his coat pocket.

"Rikiga? What's going on?"

"Ah, well, you see.. Shion, I.. Well, I kind of.. Um, well, what happened is-"

"Rikiga," Shion cut him off. "What's in your pocket?"

Shion noticed the older man seemed to be gripping at something within his pocket but had yet to make the item known.

Rikiga let out another loud sigh.

"Now Shion, I don't want you to be mad at me or anything.." he pulled his hand out of his pocket and showed it to Shion.

There was a small, black velvet ring box laying in Rikiga's palm.


End file.
